Survival of Haemophilus equigenitalis in different antibiotic-containing semen extenders

The ability of Haemophilus equigenitalis, the causal agent of contagious equine metritis 1977, to survive in various antibiotic-containing semen extenders was studied at different environmental temperatures. Gentamicin sulphate was found to be markedly superior to ampicillin or a combination of sodium benzyl penicillin and polymyxin B sulphate, Semen treated with the former antibiotic was either sterile at cultural examination or else yielded appreciably fewer colonies of H. equigenitalis than the untreated semen control. Ampicillin had no observable effect on the survival of this organism. Gentamicin was most effective when semen-extender mixtures were held at room temperature rather than at 37 or 4 degrees C. No detrimental effects on sperm motility were observed following the use of the different antibiotic-containing semen extenders in the presence or absence of H. equigenitalis.