Authors:V.O. Sekoni , D.I. Saror , C.O. Njoku , J. Kumi-Diaka
Int. Volume 24, Issue 3 , Pages 249-258, February 1991
Abstract
Effect of novidium chemotherapy on elevated values of spermatozoa morphological abnormalities consequent to Trypanosoma vivax or Trypanosoma congolense infection was investigated in Zebu bulls.
Six of the 12 infected animals were treated with novidium at the end of the twelfth week post-infection and studied for a period of 12 weeks post-chemotherapy. Parasites disappeared from the bloodstream within 3 days post-chemotherapy, but elevated values of spermatozoa morphological abnormalities which also decreased gradually within a period of 12 weeks post-chemotherapy were still significantly (P < 0.001) higher than the pre-infection values, values for control bulls and also considerably higher than the optimum value of 20% for most fertile bulls. Therefore, novidium chemotherapy was not effective at 12 weeks post-treatment in reducing the elevated values of spermatozoa morphological abnormalities to values found in fertile bulls and to the pre-infection levels for the bulls.
The results showed that the infected bulls might still be sub-fertile 12 weeks after novidium chemotherapy owing to elevated spermatozoa morphological abnormalities.