Tuberculosis, a highly contagious disease that spreads when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or spits, is a serious problem across southern Africa. Most people in Botswana are infected by the time they reach adulthood.

Mongooses may pick up the bacteria that cause tuberculosis by nosing around human waste. They investigate possible food sources in garbage piles and septic tanks.

Bacteria may enter tiny cuts on their noses, then spread through their bodies.

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