Disease risks to animal health from artificial insemination with bovine semen

Two of the major goals of artificial insemination of domesticated animals are to achieve continuous genetic improvement and to prevent or eliminate venereal disease. In comparison with natural service, fewer males are needed to artificially inseminate the same number of females and to produce the same number of offspring. However, there are risks associated with artificial insemination, which has the potential to disseminate genetic defects and also to spread infectious disease nationally and internationally. This paper focuses on the risks of six specific diseases which are transmitted in bull semen and outlines the appropriate measures to prevent these risks.