MICROBIOLOGICAL EVALUATION OF BOVINE FROZEN SEMEN SAMPLES IN WEST BENGAL, INDIA

A total number of 860 French mini straws (0.25 ml) of frozen semen from 215 bulls from three different farms namely frozen semen bull station (FSBS), Harighata Farm (98), FSBS, Salboni (93) and Sperm Station, Beldanga (24) were evaluated for bacterial load by standard plate count (SPC) technique using soyabean casein digest agar and 1% plain agar media. Following incubation at 37°C for 72 hrs average colony forming unit (CFU) was estimated and bacteria were identified. Different micro-organisms identified in frozen semen samples were Staphylococcus spp., Micrococcus spp., Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas spp., Corynebacterium spp., Proteus spp., Klebsiella spp., Bacillus spp. other than Bacillus anthracis and Streptococcus spp. Several of these bacteria have been identified in association with breeding failure in cattle and warrants precautionary and preventive measures for successful breeding program.