title: Contagious epididymitis due to Brucella ovis: relationship between sexual function, serology and bacterial shedding in semen.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Contagious Epididymitis (CE) due to Brucella ovis (B. ovis) is a contagious disease that impairs rams' fertility due to epididymis, testicle and accessory sexual gland alterations. An increased incidence of CE has been observed in South Eastern France ("PACA" region) since the Rev.1 vaccination against B. melitensis has been stopped in 2008. The objective of this study was to evaluate the relationship between the infection by B. ovis and the sexual function of rams. Two-hundred eighteen sexually-mature rams, from 11 seropositive flocks, were submitted to a clinical examination of the genital tract, a semen collection by electro-ejaculation for spermogram and culture, and a serological examination for anti-B. ovis antibodies by complement fixation test (CFT) and indirect ELISA (I-ELISA). The relationships between clinical, seminal, bacteriological and serological parameters were studied using the Fisher exact test and a logistic regression model (binomial logit).
  
  
  RESULTS
  B. ovis shedding in semen was significantly associated with seropositivity (CFT and I-ELISA; p < 0.001 and 0.01 respectively), genital tract alterations (p < 0.05) and poor semen quality (p < 0.001). Seropositive rams presented significantly more genital tract alterations (p < 0.001) and a poor seminal score (p < 0.001) than seronegative rams.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Since semen culture is not routinely feasible in field conditions, a control plan of CE should be based, where Rev.1 vaccination is not possible, on both systematic clinical and serological examination of rams, followed by the culling of seropositive and/or genital tract alterations carrier rams.
authors.affiliation: Université de Toulouse, INP-ENVT, UMR 1331-Toxalim, F-31076, Toulouse, France. n.hagen-picard@envt.fr.
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Picard-Hagen
authors.affiliation: Université de Toulouse, INP-ENVT, UMR 1225-IHAP and UMT Maîtrise de la santé des troupeaux de petits ruminants, F-31076, Toulouse, France. x.berthelot@envt.fr.
authors.forename: Xavier
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Berthelot
authors.affiliation: Groupement de Défense Sanitaire des Alpes de Haute Provence, F-04000, Digne les Bains, France. jlucchampion@yahoo.fr.
authors.forename: Jean Luc
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Champion
authors.affiliation: Groupement de Défense Sanitaire des Bouches du Rhône, F-13626, Aix en Provence, France. l.eon@bouches-du-rhone.chambagri.fr.
authors.forename: Laure
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Eon
authors.affiliation: Université de Toulouse, INP-ENVT, Unité de Biostatistiques, F-31076, Toulouse, France. f.lyazrhi@envt.fr.
authors.forename: Faouzi
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lyazrhi
authors.affiliation: Groupement de Défense Sanitaire des Alpes de Haute Provence, F-04000, Digne les Bains, France. m.marois.gds04@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Maxime
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marois
authors.affiliation: Fédération Régionale des Groupements de Défense Sanitaire Provence Alpes Côte d'Azur, F-04100, Manosque, France. marcelinepeglion@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Marceline
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Peglion
authors.affiliation: Université de Toulouse, INP-ENVT, UMR 1225-IHAP and UMT Maîtrise de la santé des troupeaux de petits ruminants, F-31076, Toulouse, France. a.schuster_08@envt.fr.
authors.forename: Aude
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schuster
authors.affiliation: Université de Toulouse, INP-ENVT, UMR 1225-IHAP and UMT Maîtrise de la santé des troupeaux de petits ruminants, F-31076, Toulouse, France. c.trouche_08@envt.fr.
authors.forename: Christel
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Trouche
authors.affiliation: Paris-Est University/French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety (ANSES), EU/OIE/FAO Brucellosis Reference Laboratory, 94701, Maisons-Alfort, France. bruno.garin-bastuji@anses.fr.|Present Address: ANSES, European & International Affairs Department, 14 rue Pierre et Marie Curie, F-94701, Maisons-Alfort, Cedex, France. bruno.garin-bastuji@anses.fr.
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Garin-Bastuji
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D057138:Bacterial Shedding / Q000502:physiology*; D042061:Brucella ovis / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002006:Brucellosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D004823:Epididymitis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D012661:Semen / Q000382:microbiology*; D012756:Sheep; D012757:Sheep Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology