The African Matabele ants have a unique ability to recognize and treat infected wounds of their fellow ants. These ants have a dangerous job of hunting termites, which often results in injuries. However, they have developed a healthcare system where they can distinguish between non-infected and infected wounds and efficiently treat the latter with antibiotics they produce themselves. This sophisticated medical wound treatment significantly reduces the mortality rate of infected individuals. The research findings have medical implications for humans, as the primary pathogen in ant’s wounds is also a leading cause of infection in humans. Further research is being conducted to explore wound care behaviors in other ant species and social animals, as well as to identify and analyze the antibiotics used by Matabele ants. This may lead to the discovery of new antibiotics that can be used in humans. The work of these ants has even been featured in a Netflix documentary called “Life on Our Planet.” Additionally, the head of the research group, Dr. Erik Frank, has written an autobiographical book titled “A History of Ants” that describes his research experiences. Contact information for Dr. Erik Frank is available for further inquiries.
https://www.uni-wuerzburg.de/en/news-and-events/news/detail/news/ant-antibiotics/