Serum biochemical profile and molecular detection of pathogens in semen of infertile male dromedary camels (Camelus dromedarius)

- Four potential pathogens were detected in semen samples of infertile camel semen.
- Pathogens are Mycoplasma spp., Leptospira spp., Brucella melitensis, and Bovine viral diarrhea virus.
- Single infection was detected in 88% and the reminder was mixed infection.
- Mycoplasma + leptospira was detected in 83.3% of infected semen and the reminder was counted for Mycoplasma + Brucella.
- The biochemical indices except for testosterone were not changed.

Detection of pathogens in the semen of camels has not been completely elucidated. Therefore, the current study aimed to determine the association of some economically important pathogens with infertility in 94 male infertile camels through molecular detection and estimation of selected biochemical parameters in serum of these animals compared with a control non infected fertile animals (n = 40). PCR analysis of semen samples of infertile camels indicated that, four potential pathogens namely Mycoplasma spp., Leptospira spp., Brucella melitensis, and Bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) were detected in 50 semen samples of infertile camels whereas, 44 semen samples of infertile camels were free of pathogens and all tested semen samples were negative for bovine herpes virus 1, Salmonella spp. and Trypanosoma evansi. Single and mixed infection was detected in 88% and 12% of the infected semen samples, respectively. Mycoplasma spp., Leptospira spp., Brucella and Bovine viral diarrhea virus infection represented 66%, 27.2%, 4.5% and 2.3% of the single infected semen samples. Mycoplasma spp. + Leptospira spp. and Mycoplasma spp. + Brucella spp. were detected in 83.3% and 16.7% of mixed infected semen samples, respectively. Testosterone concentration decreased significantly in infertile infected camels compare to both control and infertile non infected animals that remained comparable. The current findings reported the molecular detection of mixed infection in camel semen for the first time. Mycoplasma spp. is the most widely recognized microorganism in the present study and together with Leptospira spp., Brucella spp. and Bovine viral diarrhea virus, might be associated with infertility in dromedary camels.