The potential transmission of infectious agents by semen packaging during storage for artificial insemination

Plastic straws, of a type widely used for semen cryopreservation, sealed using three different methods, (PVA powder, plastic spheres and plasticine modelling clay) were tested for leakage of low molecular weight dye (methylene blue), bacteria (Escherichia coli) and virus (Newcastle disease virus). Leakage was found to be dependent on the method used to fill the straws. Straws filled using a traditional ‘dip and wipe’ method and sealed with PVA powder demonstrated a significant degree of methylene blue leakage (0.0269% of the total straw contents) probably associated with contamination of the powder sealing plug. Straws filled using an aseptic filling technique showed no detectable leakage of any agent with any of the sealing methods. This study highlights the need to establish good-practice guidelines for the packaging of semen collected for freezing and future AI from non-domestic livestock where disease-free status cannot be guaranteed and unsophisticated technology is used.