Asset Details
Do you wish to reserve the book?
Semen Quality in Rams Is Severely but Temporarily Affected by Bluetongue Virus Serotype 3 Infection
Hey, we have placed the reservation for you!
By the way, why not check out events that you can attend while you pick your title.
Oops! Something went wrong.
Looks like we were not able to place the reservation. Kindly try again later.
Are you sure you want to remove the book from the shelf?
Semen Quality in Rams Is Severely but Temporarily Affected by Bluetongue Virus Serotype 3 Infection
Do you wish to request the book?
Semen Quality in Rams Is Severely but Temporarily Affected by Bluetongue Virus Serotype 3 Infection
Please be aware that the book you have requested cannot be checked out. If you would like to checkout this book, you can reserve another copy
We have requested the book for you!
Your request is successful and it will be processed during the Library working hours. Please check the status of your request in My Requests.
Oops! Something went wrong.
Looks like we were not able to place your request. Kindly try again later.
Journal Article
Semen Quality in Rams Is Severely but Temporarily Affected by Bluetongue Virus Serotype 3 Infection
2025
Overview
Bluetongue virus serotype 3 (BTV-3) emerged in northwestern Europe in 2023–2024, raising concerns about its potential reproductive impact on rams, similar to previous outbreaks with BTV-8. This study assessed the effect of natural BTV-3 infection on the semen quality of 49 rams in Belgium using two cross-sectional sampling sessions during the 2024 outbreak. Semen and blood were tested for BTV RNA via RT-qPCR, and a composite semen quality score (SQS) was established based on key sperm parameters. On the first sampling date, 75% of rams were viremic, and 19% presented azoospermia. Rams with BTV RNA detectable in both semen and blood had significantly lower SQS and sperm concentrations than those with viral RNA in blood only or none at all. By the second sampling, 53 days later, semen quality had improved markedly, indicating a transient effect of infection. These findings confirm that BTV-3 can severely but temporarily impair ram fertility, particularly when viral replication occurs in the reproductive tract. Given the seasonal overlap between vector activity and breeding programs, these results underscore the importance of integrating reproductive health monitoring into outbreak response strategies.
Publisher
MDPI AG,MDPI,Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI)
Subject
/ Belgium
/ Blood
/ Bluetongue virus - classification
/ BTV-3
/ Cattle
/ Complications and side effects
/ Disease Outbreaks - veterinary
/ Diseases
/ Male
/ Motility
/ Médecine vétérinaire & santé animale
/ Rams
/ RNA
/ Sampling
/ Semen
/ Sheep
/ Sperm
/ Vaccines
/ Veterinary medicine & animal health
/ Virology
