User talk:Kmassand

I would like to propose that on the Wikipedia page for tuberculosis, in the diagnosis section, that the Gambian pouched rat and Giant pouch rat be listed.

This value of noting this option is that it may be useful speeding diagnosis (M. tuberculosis is slow-growing and the current culture process can take 2-6 weeks) and improving diagnostic accuracy (current tests frequently miss the disease initially and/or yield false-positives), as well as providing more targeted antibiotic treatment in the future. It could also prove to be useful in the developing world where equipment and well-trained technicians are scarce, and in the developed world for patients who are allergic or taking other medications that interact with some of the broad-spectrum antibiotics typically used while waiting for test results. Finally it may encourage further research, not only into optimizing the use of the rats, but determining how to replicate their sensory capabilities technologically.



~ Karen Kenefick-Massand