Author: V.O. Sekoni
Int. Volume 31, Issue 3 , Pages 243-248, May 1993
Abstract
Twelve Yankasa rams from 2.5 to 3 years of age were divided into two groups of six for a study which lasted 15 weeks. All the rams initially had low sperm morphological abnormalities in their semen before the six animals
in the treatment group were infected with Trypanosoma vivax. All of the infected rams developed chronic trypanosomiasis. Detailed studies of sperm morphological abnormalities were carried out for a period of 9 weeks post infection (p.i.). There was a rapid and progressive elevation of all abnormalities in the semen of the infected rams. Typical spermatozoa of infected rams were highly deformed with multiple morphological abnormalities. At 9 weeks p.i. the control group of rams had a mean of 3.9% for total sperm morphological abnormalities which differed (P<0.001) from the mean value of 99.80% for the infected group. Most rams were unfit for breeding at 3 weeks p.i. The result shows that T. vivax infection can render rams unfit for breeding within a short period of time.