When I first read about the idea that animals can smell out cancer or other diseases I have to say, it didn’t pass my ‘sniff test’ but evidence seems to be accumulating so it is something that us worth looking at. They seem to be detecting (or shall we say, screening) TB patients using rats so they can pick the samples that go for more advanced (expensive, GeneXpert) test.

http://mosaicscience.com/story/rats-and-dogs-medical-detection-animals-smell-TB-cancer

You may also have heard of humans who can sniff diseases, like the woman who knew her husband had Parkinson’s because of the ‘musty’ smell.

It may seem counterintuitive but in the diagnostic lab of the future we may have computers attached to a menagerie of various animal.

I am sure it will work, at least if no one burns a toast in the pantry, that will surely confuse the animals ☺.

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