Semen changes in boars after experimental infection with pseudorabies virus

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Virology
• Animal Reproduction

Background:

• Pseudorabies virus (PRV) is a significant pathogen in swine.
• Understanding PRV's effects on boar reproductive health is crucial for disease management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of different doses of PRV on boar semen quality.
• To determine the relationship between PRV infection, clinical signs, and reproductive parameters.

Main Methods:

• Adult boars were intranasally inoculated with two different doses of PRV (5 x 10^5 TCID50 or 5 x 10^6 TCID50).
• Control boars were maintained separately.
• Ejaculates were analyzed twice weekly for volume, sperm count, and morphology.
• Semen was tested for the presence of PRV.

Main Results:

• The higher PRV dose (5 x 10^6 TCID50) induced severe clinical signs, including fever, testicular degeneration, and transient increases in spermatozoa with proximal cytoplasmic droplets.
• The lower PRV dose (5 x 10^5 TCID50) resulted in seroconversion but no clinical signs or decline in semen quality.
• PRV was not detected in the semen of any infected boars.

Conclusions:

• The impact of PRV infection on boar semen quality is dose-dependent and associated with the severity of clinical disease.
• Mild PRV infections without systemic illness do not appear to affect semen parameters.