Effect of FMD vaccination on semen quality parameters in Karan Fries and Murrah buffalo bulls

Effect of Foot and Mouth disease (FMD) vaccination was studied on semen quality parameters of 19 Karan Fries (KF) and eight Murrah (MU) breeding bulls during the period 2002 to 2004 at Artificial Breeding Complex, NDRI, Karnal. A total of non-vaccinated 155 KF and 72 MU bulls' ejaculates were taken as control, while 169 KF and 51 MU bulls' ejaculates, collected after vaccination, were used to study the effect of vaccination stress. The results showed that FMD vaccination had no significant (P > 0.05) effect on ejaculate volume and total volume per day of semen in both KF and MU bulls. Volume of semen increased slightly during post-vaccination period in both the breeds. After FMD vaccination, there was significant (P < 0.01) decrease in mass activity (2.27 +/- 0.06 vs. 1.67 +/- 0.07 and 2.49 +/- 0.09. vs. 1.75 +/- 0.10, for KF and MU, respectively), initial motility (56.89 +/- 0.03% vs. 44.62 +/- 0.02% and 62.26 +/- 0.04% vs. 47.08 +/- 0.05%, for KF and MU, respectively), sperm concentration (754.19 +/- 23.96 vs. 554.14 +/- 22.95 x 10(6)/ml and 848.61 +/- 33.65 vs. 571.57 +/- 39.99 x 10(6)/ml, for KF and MU, respectively), and total sperm output per ejaculate (3,685.94 +/- 158.40 vs. 2,781.54 +/- 151.70 x 10(6) and 2,218.75 +/- 133.14 vs. 1,582.84 +/- 158.20 x 10(6), for KF and MU, respectively). Application of FMD vaccine had significantly (P < 0.05) adverse effect on most of the seminal attributes during post-vaccination in KF and MU buffalo bulls. So, the spermiograms affected following vaccination suggest that in bovines, the semen collection and preservation should be suspended till normal fertility of sperm is restored to avoid the failure of conception from artificial insemination using such semen.