Today, March 24th, is World TB Day. And Hero Rats are helping to eliminate this terrible disease. HeroRATs work similiar to bed bug dogs, bomb dogs or narcotics dogs. Instead of training to alert on bed bugs, explosives or drugs, HeroRATs have been trained to alert on the TB disease.
Tuberculosis is not a common threat in Canada (4.4 incidents per 100,00). However, citizens in other countries, like Ethopia, are not so lucky - TB kills three people every minute.
Soon a new TB detection facility in Addis Abba, Ethiopia will open its doors and APOPO will be assigning a team of HeroRATs to identify TB positive people that have been missed by public clinics.
APOPO HeroRATS save lives. You too can help by donating to the care of these life saving animals. Adopt A HeroRAT. Spread the word #UniteToEndTB
