A species of African ant has a claim to have the world’s smallest healthcare system as they have developed their own sophisticated way of treating infected wounds. Matabele ants (Megaponera analis) are widespread south of the Sahara and only eat termites. Their preferred cuisine comes with a risk, however, as hunting expeditions are dangerous. Termite soldiers often inflict wounds on the ants with their powerful mandibles. If the wounds become infected, there is a significant survival risk. However, Matabele ants have developed a sophisticated healthcare system to deal with this. The tiny critters can distinguish between non-infected and infected wounds and treat the latter efficiently with antibiotics they produce themselves. This is reported by a team led by Dr Erik Frank from Julius-Maximilians-Universität (JMU) Würzburg and Professor Laurent Keller from the University of Lausanne in the journal Nature Communications. For treatment, the medically trained insects then apply antimicrobial compounds and proteins to the infected wounds. The therapy is highly effective: the mortality rate of infected individuals is reduced by 90 per cent, as the research group discovered. "With the exception of humans, I know of no other living creature that can carry out such sophisticated medical wound treatments," says Dr. Frank. Professor Keller adds that these findings could pave the way for medical advances in treating humans as the infections they treat are caused by the same pathogens as human infections.