Prophylactic Effect of Selected Arthropod Haemolymph on <i>Trypanosoma brucei brucei</i> Experimentally Infected Mice

Trypanosomiasis is one of the World’s Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) that affects both man and animals. The current control measures are mostly chemotherapeutic which face numerous challenges such as non availability of drugs, toxicity and long term protocol. These challenges have made researchers look for alternative cure for this disease since no vaccine is available yet. Eight species of arthropods (scorpion, beetle, grasshoper, butterfly, cricket, cockroach, spider and crab) were collected from the wild using different sampling methods. Haemolymph was collected from sampled arthropods using novel Antennae method of haemolymph sampling. Trypanosoma brucei brucei was sourced, identified and propagated in rats. The prophylactic effect of arthropod haemolymph of selected arthropods on T. b. brucei was carried out using 20 groups of mice of 8-10 weeks old with each group having 4 mice that were randomly assigned. Mice in all groups except the control 1 and 2 were administered 0.3µl of either 100% or 50% concentrations of arthropod haemolymph, four days preinfection, with T. b. brucei infected blood. The control 1 and 2 were administered 0.3µl diminiazene aceturate and distilled water respectively before infection. The effects of the haemolymph on the parasite count, weight and PCV were monitored for 21 days at 3 days interval. The results of the study showed the prophylactic ability of grasshopper, cricket, cockroach, crab and diminazene (control 1) which were able to clear T. b. brucei by the 15th day of experiment. While haemolymph of scorpion and beetle encouraged parasitaemia, mice in control group 2 died before the 9th day post treatment. It is recommended that arthropod’s haemolymph of crab, cockroach and grasshopper can be harnessed for their prophylactic properties against T. b. brucei infection.