ABSTRACT
An experiment was conducted to investigate the immunologic property, pathogenicity and treatment of Fusarium graminearum infection. Several groups of mice were randomly selected for the following groups: (PC, T1 and T2 were groups of mice that respectively received a 1:1, 1:100 and 1:100,000 fungal dilution while T3, T4, and T5 were groups of mice that respectively received the same concentration but each were treated with Diethylamine Acetarsol (Acetylarsan). A group of mice was included as a negative control (NC),In vitro assays were used to examine the ability of F. graminearum to produce enzymes, which are thought as important virulence indicators. Results revealed the ability of the pathogen to produce collagenase and elastase. In addition, histopathological examination indicated vascular congestion and mild triaditis of the liver. Pulmonary congestion and lymphoid hyperplasia in the spleen were noted. The fungi were recovered from the liver, lungs, spleen and skin of the legs of some experimental animals. Likewise, increase in weight of the spleen doubled as early as the second week (from 49 mg to 80 mg) and progressed up to the fourth week (125 mg) where it tapered off in the untreated group. Similar increase in the weight of the spleen was observed in the treated group (40 mg to 64 mg) but not as great as that in the untreated group (105 mg). Hematological findings showed a lymphocytic count of 1.83 that increased to 3.356, monocyte count of 0.47 that increased to 0.981 and neutrophils increased from 0.399 to 1.698 in untreated groups. Lymphocyte count in the treated group was increased from 1.8 to 3.64, monocytes increased from 0.068 to 0.325 and neutrophils increased from 0.223 to 1.056. High incidence of death was observed in animals that did not receive treatment (PC, T1, and T2) while relatively lower death incidences were exhibited by groups that received diethylamine acetarsol (T3, T4 and T5).