Infectious pathogens potentially transmitted by semen of the black variety of the Manchega sheep breed: Health constraints for conservation purposes

• Published in: Animal reproduction science Vol. 149; no. 3-4; pp. 152 - 157
• Main Authors: Ruiz-Fons, Francisco, González-Barrio, David, Aguilar-Ríos, Fernando, Soler, Ana J., Garde, José Julián, Gortázar, Christian, Fernández-Santos, María del Rocío
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 01.10.2014
• Subjects: Anaplasma marginale; Anaplasma phagocytophilum; Animals; artificial insemination; Autochthonous; Bacterial Infections - epidemiology; Bacterial Infections - transmission; Bacterial Infections - veterinary; Bluetongue virus; breeds; Brucella; Chlamydophila; Conservation of Natural Resources; Coxiella burnetii; DNA; Endangered; flocks; Genetic resource; germplasm conservation; Male; Manchega sheep; Mycobacterium avium; Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex; Mycoplasma agalactiae; Neospora caninum; paratuberculosis; pathogens; Pestivirus; polymerase chain reaction; Protozoan Infections, Animal - epidemiology; Protozoan Infections, Animal - parasitology; Protozoan Infections, Animal - transmission; rams; screening; semen; Semen - microbiology; Semen - parasitology; Semen - virology; Seroepidemiologic Studies; Sexually Transmitted Diseases - microbiology; Sexually Transmitted Diseases - veterinary; Sexually Transmitted Diseases - virology; Sheep; Sheep Diseases - transmission; Spain; Spain - epidemiology; Toxoplasma gondii; Virus Diseases - epidemiology; Virus Diseases - transmission; Virus Diseases - veterinary; Visna maedi virus; Spain; Autochthonous; Genetic resource; Endangered; Manchega sheep
• ISSN: 0378-4320; 1873-2232; 1873-2232
• DOI: 10.1016/j.anireprosci.2014.07.006

•Pathogens shed by semen threaten preservation of genetic resources from black Manchega sheep.•Coxiella burnetii may be transmitted by artificial insemination with ram semen.•Germinal banks for endangered breed conservation should test their samples for pathogens. Conservation of genetic resources from endangered breeds may be conducted through germinal banks. Preservation of healthy samples is paramount to avoid preserving pathogens shed with germinal products. The black variety of Manchega sheep (BMS), and endangered breed endemic to south-central Spain, is the subject of a conservation program; a germinal bank has been recently established. However, several pathogens circulating in BMS flocks may be shed with semen and threaten BMS preservation. Therefore, we investigated the sanitary status of BMS flocks and semen samples from 4 of the 17 flocks in which this variety is bred worldwide. A serological screening for Maedi-Visna virus, bluetongue virus, Pestivirus spp., Brucella spp., Coxiella burnetii, Chlamydophila spp., Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex, Mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis, Anaplasma spp., Mycoplasma agalactiae, Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum was performed to assess for pathogens potentially shed by semen. Semen samples from 11 of the 35 BMS rams and 4 samples from coexisting rams of the white variety (WMS) were analyzed by PCR to detect Maedi-Visna virus, C. burnetii, Anaplasma marginale, Anaplasma phagocytophilum and T. gondii. Maedi-Visna virus RNA was detected in 3 semen samples (2 BMS and 1 WMS) while C. burnetii DNA was detected in 3 samples from WMS rams. Pathogens that can be transmitted by semen were present in BMS flocks, and Maedi-Visna virus and C. burnetii showed the highest potential for transmission by artificial insemination. Our results point to the need of testing semen samples kept for conservation purposes of BMS before using them for artificial insemination.