Chichi
“When I first became sick I thought it was malaria. I went to my local clinic to get tested and the result was positive. But after the treatment I didn’t get better so I went to get tested again and the clinic then thought it was typhoid. However, the result was also negative. They sent me to central hospital where I was examined and advised to take a test for TB. I was initially x-rayed, but nothing showed up, so I gave a sputum sample and that was tested using microscopy. But still nothing.
My condition worsened and I soon couldn’t leave home, I was too weak. My family were very worried for me and I was scared they would catch my illness too. It was a very bad time for us all.
But then I was called from the hospital and a doctor told me that my sample had been sent to an organisation called APOPO who train rats to smell TB in human sputum samples. The rats had tested my sample and showed that they detected TB. My sample was then retested in a laboratory and TB was confirmed. The hospital immediately started me on treatment, and I am feeling much better now.”