*Pioneers in Medicine and Their Impact on Tuberculosis*

African pouched rats for the detection of pulmonary tuberculosis in sputum samples

No one knows exactly how many landmines still litter the world, but it's safe to say: millions, waiting to kill and maim unsuspecting civilians. Clearing them is slow, expensive and dangerous. The founder of Apopo, Bart Weetjens, talks about his extraordinary project: training rats to sniff out land mines. He shows clips of his "hero rats" in action, and previews his work's next phase: teaching them to turn up tuberculosis in the lab.

Bart Weetjens: How I taught rats to sniff out land mines

How I taught rats to sniff out land mines

Rats, trained by an engineer passionate about both rodents and Africa, are revolutionizing landmine detection, making it cheaper and safer.

These 'hero rats' are also detecting tuberculosis with higher accuracy than standard tests, significantly increasing case detection rates.

Harnessing rats' keen sense of smell, a project trains them to detect landmines, drastically cutting costs and saving lives.