title: Noninfectivity of semen from bulls infected with bovine leukosis virus.
abstract: An opportunity for study of the potential role of semen in the transmission of bovine leukosis virus (BLV) was provided when a Jersey herd was found to be BLV-seronegative. This was a closed herd; new genetic material had been introduced by artificial insemination (AI), using semen collected and processed at 7 AI centers in the United States. Of 66 donor bulls from which semen had been collected for AI use in the herd during the 5 years the herd remained seronegative, 24 were consistently BLV-seropositive and 2 became seropositive for BLV during the study. Semen collected from the BLV-seropositive bulls accounted for 1,019 semen units, representing 48.3% of the semen purchased. The maintenance of BLV seronegativity in this herd for 5 years, when semen from BLV-seropositive bulls was used for AI, provided evidence for the lack of infectivity of BLV in bovine semen.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000276:immunology; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000635:transmission*; D005260:Female; D007315:Insemination, Artificial / Q000662:veterinary*; D007938:Leukemia / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000635:transmission / Q000662:veterinary*; D001909:Leukemia Virus, Bovine / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D012661:Semen / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral