Ndungu, K.Kibugu, J. K.Gitonga, P. KThuita, J. K.Auma, J.E.Gitonga, S. K.Ngae, G. N.Murilla, G. A.2015-08-172015-08-172013Ndung’u, K., Kibugu, J. K., Gitonga, P. K., Thuita, J. K., Auma, J. E., Gitonga, S. K., ... & Murilla, G. A. (2013). Infectra®-kit: A device for restraining mice and confining tsetse flies during trypanosome infection transmission experiments. Acta tropica, 126(2), 146-149. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actatropica.2013.02.0060001-706Xhttps://kalroerepository.kalro.org/handle/0/9939Chemical(anaesthesia) and manual techniques are commonly used to restrain mice during vector mediated parasite transmission experiments in laboratory. Chemical restrain may interfere with natural fly vector-mouse interactions and therfore 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 (infectra-kit)that allows essential transmission studies to be carried out with animal human manipilation and without the need for anaesthesia. Infectra- kit can be used as a single unit for restraining one mouse or as eight- assmbled units, thus significantly improving effeciency of a single operator in comparision to manual restraint. The kit was validated by comparing feeding success in tsetse flies fed on mice restrained usning infectra-kit(group 1 )to those manually restrained (group II). The mean +SE% feeding sucess was 75.0+8.2% for tsestse flies in Groups I and II respectively. Statistical analysis using two sample, test showed no significant difference between the two groups at p< 0.05, indicating that infectra -kit as restraining device was as good as the conventional manual restraint method. The main benefits of using infectra-kit for transmission studies therfore include reduction of man- hours and animal restrainining-related discomfort, which is an important consideration when working with zoonotic parasites.enhttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/Journal ContributionTsetse fliesTrypanosomes (phytomonas)TransmissionsExperimentshttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.actatropica.2013.02.006