TB Trails and Tails

2025-12-16

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Why Tuberculosis is still the most deadly infectious disease.Attention, DNA detectives! We’ve got a rat on the loose – but don’t worry, not the snitching, double-agent kind. We’re talking about the whiskered, hyper-skilled, tiny agents who aren't snitching - they're sniffing out one of the world’s deadliest diseases: tuberculosis (TB).Tuberculosis might sound old-timey, but it’s still the globe’s top infectious killer– growing tougher, more drug-resistant, and hitting hardest where access to care falls short. So for our Season 5 finale, host Dr. Kaylee Byers digs into TB’s fascinatin...

Why Tuberculosis is still the most deadly infectious disease.

Attention, DNA detectives! We’ve got a rat on the loose – but don’t worry, not the snitching, double-agent kind. We’re talking about the whiskered, hyper-skilled, tiny agents who aren't snitching - they're sniffing out one of the world’s deadliest diseases: tuberculosis (TB).

Tuberculosis might sound old-timey, but it’s still the globe’s top infectious killer– growing tougher, more drug-resistant, and hitting hardest where access to care falls short. So for our Season 5 finale, host Dr. Kaylee Byers digs into TB’s fascinating backstory, and teams up with microbiologist Dr. Jennifer Guthrie to figure out why this ancient disease still has such a tight grip, and how genomics is helping track its every move. Along the way, Dr. Zolelwa Sifumba shares her story as a multidrug-resistant TB survivor, and how her treatment journey fuels her advocacy today.

Buckle up: this investigation has it all : science, politics, global inequities… and a squad of extraordinary rats.

Special thanks to APOPO for sending us field recordings and interviews from their HeroRAT training program.

Highlights

(3:42) The history of TB

(8:19) Why TB sits at the top of the global disease podium

(15:30) Meet Zolelwa - a multi-drug-resistant TB survivor

(30:48) The power of education

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Show Notes/Resources:

1. Giant Rats Trained to Sniff Out Tuberculosis in Africa- National Geographic

2. The Making of a HeroRAT: From Tiny Pup to Life-saving Hero- APOPO

3. Tuberculosis: an ancient disease that remains a medical, social, economical and ethical issue- Journal of Preventive Medicine and Hygiene

4. History of World TB Day- CDC

5. The history of tuberculosis- Respiratory Medicine

6. Chapter 12: An introductory guide to tuberculosis care to improve cultural competence for health care workers and public health professionals serving Indigenous Peoples of Canada- Canadian Journal of Respiratory, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine

7. Everything is Tuberculosis- John Green

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