BRUCELLA ABORTUS IN FROZEN SEMEN FROM SERONEGATIVE BULLS

Abstract

Modern trends in reproduction, like artificial insemination, have created potential problems in the mode of transmission of diseases like brucellosis. Earlier reports suggested that the bull played a less significant role in the spread of brucellosis. But A. I. has brought renewed interest that there is a possible chance of transmission by one infected bull semen to many animals. (Bendixen and Blom, 194 7). Intrauterine insemination with semen containing virulent Brucella abortus organisms produced a high percentage of infection, but midcervical insemination did not produce infection (Lambert et al., 1963). There are also reports that some bulls give negative results in the seroagglutination test but actually shed virulent Br. abortus in their semen (Christensen, 1948). An attempt was made to isolate the organism in frozen semen from seronegative bulls.