IN-VITRO FERTILIZATION OF BOVINE OOCYTES EXPOSED TO BOVINE HERPESVIRUS-1 (BHV-1)

Cumulus-oocyte complexes were matured for 24 hours in the presence or absence of bovine herpes virus-1 (BHV-1, 10(6) TCID 50/ml), fertilized in vitro and then cocultured on oviductal cells to the blastocyst stage. The percentages of oocytes which cleaved were 48% (n = 905) for oocytes matured in the presence of BHV-1, and 51% (n = 1004) for the control oocytes. Comparing BHV-1-treated to control, the percentages of cleaved oocytes which developed to the blastocyst stage were 29% and 31%, respectively (p > 0.05). Embryos produced from the experimental group of oocytes tested positive for BHV-1.