Microscopical evidence of mycoplasma-like organisms in mycoplasma positive bovine semen

Contamination with mycoplasma-like organisms was observed microscopically in a bull with impaired sperm quality and positive isolation of Mycoplasma bovigenitalium and ureaplasma. The bull's spermiogram was characterized by decreased initial motility and post-freeze survival rate, primary defects in nucleoplasm, changes in tail conformation and regressive changes of the plasmalemma and acrosome. Vesiculo-lamellar bodies in the periacrosomal region were an accompanying feature. The cytologic picture described is compatible with descriptions reported earlier and related to mycoplasma infection.