EPIDEMIOLOGIC IMPLICATIONS OF THE PRODUCTION AND TRANSFER OF IVF EMBRYOS

In vitro production of embryos is the latest technology to be applied in commercial livestock breeding. Knowledge of interactions between infectious agents and in vitro-derived embryos is limited. This paper gives evidence of pertinent differences between in vivo and in vitro-derived bovine embryos and summarizes research on IVF embryo-pathogen interactions. Sanitary controls for the production of specific-pathogen-free IVF embryos are discussed, and some epidemiologically relevant questions are posed. Since the ''2 types'' of embryos and their production methods differ, the risks of disease transmission through transfer of each type of embryo must be assessed independently. Also, sanitary controls must be designed to insure that infectious agents do not affect the results of research utilizing IVF, and that application of IVF for commercial production of calves will not lead to a new mode of transmission of infectious diseases.