BOVINE VIRUS DIARRHEA VIRUS IN SEMEN FROM ACUTELY INFECTED BULLS

The risk of spreading bovine virus diarrhoea virus (BVDV) from acutely infected animals to susceptible animals was investigated. Ten bulls f rom a herd with no previous history of BVDV were used. The bulls were demonstrated free from BVDV and such antibodies. Six of the bulls were inoculated intravenously with cytopathogenic virus, and 4 bulls were used as controls. Semen samples were collected during a period of 66 d ays after inoculation. The samples were examined for BVDV, and spermat ological parameters were registered. Testes and epididymides were exam ined histologically post mortem. All inoculated bulls exhibited elevat ed temperatures between days 4 and 8 after inoculation, and BVDV antib odies were found in all of them on day 22. The control animals remaine d antibody negative. Non-cytopathogenic BVDV was isolated from seminal plasma from 2 bulls on day 7 after inoculation. Semen volume was sign ificantly reduced from week 6 after inoculation. Percent abnormal sper m cells decreased in the same period. No significant differences were observed in sperm density or percentage of live spermatozoa. No pathol ogical changes were found in the testes or epididymides.