Tamasha in the lab

About Tamasha

Name: Tamasha (TAH-MAH-SHAH)
Sex: Female
Date of birth: 19 December 2022
Job title: Tuberculosis  (TB) Detection Rat
Birthplace: Morogoro, Tanzania
Current Location: Morogoro, Tanzania
Length: 60.2 cm
Weight: 1.2 kg
Favourite food: Peanuts
Personality: Hardworking, motivated, and playful! She is calm and friendly to everyone.

TAMASHA AT WORK

Background

Tamasha is one of our most inspiring HeroRATs and is very dedicated to her work. She took on the role of our adoption HeroRAT in November 2024 from her colleague Carolina. She is just as talented at sniffing out tuberculosis and is a wonder to watch moving from hole to hole in the search of tuberculosis.

Day in the life

Every morning, this little specialist gets up, excited to begin her day. In a daily 20-minute session, she quickly searches 100 heat-inactivated sputum samples for TB. She does this using her sense of smell. When she finds TB, she holds her nose over the hole for 3 seconds and receives a tasty treat.

The TB threat

TB is contagious and airborne. An untreated tuberculosis patient can infect up to 15 other people a year. In 2023, an estimated 10.8 million people worldwide were infected with TB and 1.25 million died. The disease is largely curable, but first it must be diagnosed which can prove challenging. That's where Tamasha comes in.
APOPO's TB Detection rats found Hadija's TB

TOP 5 FACTS

1. Tuberculosis (TB) ranks as the world’s leading cause of death from an infectious disease, claiming 1.25 million lives worldwide in 2023.

2. For every additional patient diagnosed and placed on TB treatment, HeroRATs like Tamasha are helping stop the spread of TB to up to 15 people per year.

3. A TB detection rat can screen 100 sputum samples for TB in as little as 20 minutes. This would typically take a lab technician up to 4 days using conventional microscopy. Any suspect samples are then re-checked using WHO-endorsed confirmation tests.

4. Tamasha and the other HeroRATs have helped raise detection rates in our partner clinics by 40%.

5. In sub-Saharan Africa, around half of the TB patients remain undiagnosed or untreated and globally this number was 2.6 million in 2023. These ‘missed’ TB-positive patients usually include the most vulnerable and those without proper access to care.

CAROLINA’S IMPACT LAST MONTH

TB Samples Sniffed

TBC

Accuracy (Known Samples)

TBC

Additional Samples Indicated

TBC

HERE'S WHAT YOU'LL RECEIVE

Welcome Pack

A digital Welcome Pack stacked full of pictures, facts, figures, and quotes that will tell you everything you need to know.

Adoption Certificate

A digital certificate of adoption with your name on it.

Monthly Updates

Monthly updates direct to your email inbox to keep you up to date with the latest news and information from the field.

WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT HERORAT ADOPTIONS?

The quickest way to find to the answer to your question is to take take a look at our FAQ page. If you still need help, send us a message here and we’ll get back to you right away. Alternatively, you can email herorats@apopo.org