"Matabele Ants: Insect Medics Using Antibiotics to Heal Wounds"
Matabele ants (Megaponera analis) have been observed treating their nestmates' infected wounds with self-produced antibiotics, a behavior reported by researchers from the University of Würzburg and the University of Lausanne. These ants can distinguish between infected and non-infected wounds and apply antimicrobial compounds from their metapleural gland, significantly reducing mortality rates by 90%. This discovery, detailed in Nature Communications, not only highlights a sophisticated form of animal healthcare but also has potential implications for human medicine, as the ants combat pathogens like Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which also affect humans. The ants' unique medical behavior has been featured in the Netflix documentary "Life on Our Planet."