Use of small ruminant lentivirus-infected rams for artificial insemination.
The presence of proviral DNA, mRNA transcripts and/or viral proteins in small ruminant lentiviral infections may be intermittent. The aim of this study was to identify methods of avoiding small ruminant lentivirus (SRLV) transmission to ewes when using infected rams in artificial insemination (AI). Semen from rams, seropositive and PCR-positive in blood but consistently negative for both proviral DNA and viral protein expression in semen, was used to artificially inseminate 19 ewes. Follow-up investigation of these ewes and of two of their offspring indicated that under the study conditions virus transmission through insemination did not occur. These preliminary findings suggest that semen from SRLV-infected rams could be used for AI without the risk of transmitting virus to susceptible ewes or their lambs. Further larger studies will be required to confirm this finding.
Reina
Ramsés
R
Instituto de Agrobiotecnología, Car. Mutilva, 31192 Mutilva Baja, Spain.
Glaria
Idoia
I
Cianca
Silvia
S
Crespo
Helena
H
de Andrés
Ximena
X
Goñi
Carmen
C
Lasarte
Jesús M
JM
Luján
Lluís
L
Amorena
Beatriz
B
de Andrés
Damián F
DF
D000818:Animals; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D007315:Insemination, Artificial / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary*; D016086:Lentivirus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016180:Lentivirus Infections / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission / Q000662:veterinary*; D008297:Male; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D012306:Risk; D012661:Semen / Q000821:virology*; D012756:Sheep; D012757:Sheep Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission / Q000821:virology*; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000032:analysis
D004279:DNA, Viral; D014764:Viral Proteins