Detection of leptospires in bovine semen by polymerase chain reaction

• Published in: Australian veterinary journal Vol. 77; no. 1; pp. 32 - 34
• Main Authors: Heinemann, M.B, Garcia, J.F, Nunes, C.M, Morais, Z.M, Gregori, F, Cortez, A, Vasconcellos, S.A, Visintin, J.A, Richtzenhain, L.J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 1999
• Subjects: agglutination tests; ai bulls; Animals; Antibodies, Bacterial - blood; Brazil; Cattle; Cattle Diseases - prevention & control; Cattle Diseases - transmission; cell culture; detection; Female; Insemination, Artificial - veterinary; Leptospira; Leptospira - isolation & purification; leptospirosis; Leptospirosis - prevention & control; Leptospirosis - transmission; Leptospirosis - veterinary; PCR; polymerase chain reaction; Polymerase Chain Reaction - methods; Polymerase Chain Reaction - veterinary; semen; Semen - microbiology; Species Specificity; Brazil
• ISSN: 0005-0423; 1751-0813
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1751-0813.1999.tb12422.x

Objective In view of the considerable importance of vene real transmission of bovine leptospirosis, the objective of the present study was to compare the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), culture/isolation and serology to detect leptospire infection in bovine semen.
Design Blood for serologic examination and semen for bacterial culture and PCR were collected from 20 bulls at arti ficial insemination centres in Brazil. Each animal was sampled twice for serology.
Result Forty‐five percent (9/20) of the serum samples collected showed agglutinin titers to serovar hardjo i n the first sample and 25% (5/20) had agglutinin titers to serovar hardjo in the second sample. Eighty percent (16/20) of semen samples were positive by PCR. Leptospires could not be isolated from any of the semen samples examined.
Conclusion Polymerase chain reaction can be a method of great potential for the detection of leptospires at artificial insemination centres.