InfectraARG-kit: A device for restraining mice and confining tsetse flies during trypanosome infection transmission experiments

Chemical (anaesthesia) and manual techniques are commonly used to restrain mice during vector-mediated parasite transmission experiments in the laboratory. Chemical restraint may interfere with natural fly vectoramouse interactions and therefore potentially affect the outcome of transmission experim...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Acta tropica 2013-05, Vol.126 (2), p.146-149
Main Authors: Ndungau, Kariuki, Kibugu, James Karuku, Gitonga, Purity Kaari, Thuita, John Kibuthu, Auma, Joanna Eseri, Gitonga, Samuel Kariuki, Ngae, Geoffrey Njuguna, Murilla, Grace Adira
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Glossina
Trypanosoma
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:Chemical (anaesthesia) and manual techniques are commonly used to restrain mice during vector-mediated parasite transmission experiments in the laboratory. Chemical restraint may interfere with natural fly vectoramouse interactions and therefore potentially affect the outcome of transmission experiments. Conversely, manual restraint is labour-intensive and exposes laboratory animals to excessive restraining-related discomfort. We report development of a mouse restraining device (InfectraARG-kit) that allows essential transmission studies to be carried out with minimal human manipulation and without the need for anaesthesia. InfectraARG-kit can be used as a single unit for restraining one mouse or as eight-assembled units, thus significantly improving efficiency of a single operator in comparison to manual restraint. The kit was validated by comparing feeding success in tsetse flies fed on mice restrained using InfectraARG-kit (Group I) to those manually restrained (Group II). The mean +/- SE % feeding success was 75.0 +/- 8.2% and 82.1 +/- 8.2% for tsetse flies in Groups I and II respectively. Statistical analysis using two sample t-test showed no significant difference between the two groups at p
ISSN:0001-706X