15 Times Animals Helped Make Major Medical Breakthroughs

2. Horses and the First Diphtheria Antitoxin

In the late 1800s, horses became medical heroes when scientists discovered that their blood could be used to produce the first diphtheria antitoxin. This groundbreaking serum, created by injecting horses with small amounts of diphtheria toxin, was used to successfully treat infected children and dramatically reduced mortality rates. The success of this approach paved the way for modern serum therapy in combating infectious diseases. Read the CDC history