Brucellosis is a common zoonosis in many parts of the world, which mainly infect cattle, swine, goats, sheep, dogs and also wildlife populations. Most Brucella species are also found in semen. Males can shed these organisms for long periods or lifelong. The importance of venereal transmission varies with the species. Cryopreservation offers the advantage of allowing for the storage of semen for long periods and facilitating its distribution, but it may also can act as a vehicle of distribution of numerous pathogens. An agent that is transmissible through semen is Brucella abortus, which causes orchitis and may be associated with vesiculitis and epididymitis. However many animals can be asymptomatic carriers, which is why cattle breeders do not see brucellosis as a cause of infertility and decline in reproduction rates. The purpose of this work was to detect the presence of Brucella spp. in semen samples from bulls used both for natural mating and as semen donors, using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique. Semen samples from 88 reproductively mature bulls were screened to detect the presence of Brucella spp. by polymerase chain reaction. Twenty-seven samples were found to be positive, underscoring the importance of researching brucellosis in males and the need for greater care in the selection of spermdonating bulls for semen centres.
Acknowledgements
This project was financially supported by CNPq, Fapemig and Fundect. We would also like to thank the veterinary doctors who donated the samples to this project.