title: Effect of an inactivated bluetongue serotype 8 vaccine on semen quality in rams.
abstract: The aim of this study was to determine whether a single dose of an inactivated bluetongue virus serotype 8 (BTV-8) vaccine altered semen quality in rams. Twenty sexually mature rams were assigned to three experimental groups: two groups of four animals were vaccinated and a third group of four animals was unvaccinated. The first group included rams with a history of natural BTV-8 infection in 2007 and the second and third groups included BTV-8 naïve rams. Semen was collected prior to vaccination and for 4 months post-vaccination. There were no significant differences in semen quality traits, including motility and concentration of spermatozoa, and percentages of living, normal dead and abnormal dead spermatozoa, between vaccinated and unvaccinated groups, or over time (P>0.05). The BTV-8 vaccine tested in this study did not appear to have any adverse effect on semen quality in rams.
authors.affiliation: Veterinary Integrated Research Unit, Faculty of Sciences, Namur Research Institute for Life Sciences (NARILIS), University of Namur (FUNDP), 5000 Namur, Belgium.
authors.forename: Jérôme
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Leemans
authors.forename: Marianne
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Raes
authors.forename: Claude
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Saegerman
authors.forename: Bart
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sustronck
authors.forename: Birgit
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Makoschey
authors.forename: Nathalie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kirschvink
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001530:Belgium; D001819:Bluetongue / Q000276:immunology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000821:virology; D001820:Bluetongue virus / Q000502:physiology; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D016012:Poisson Distribution; D055101:Semen Analysis / Q000662:veterinary; D012756:Sheep; D013076:Sperm Count; D013081:Sperm Motility; D015164:Vaccines, Inactivated / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000276:immunology; D014765:Viral Vaccines / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D015164:Vaccines, Inactivated; D014765:Viral Vaccines