Association of Trypanosome Infection with Sperm Antibodies Production in Red Sokoto (maradi) Goats

A total of 1021 randomly selected serum samples of adult male goats that had been screened for trypanosome infection were assayed for sperm antibodies using the immunoperoxidase staining technique. The result of the trypanosome screening revealed that 586(57.39%) goats were positive for trypanosome infection, while 435(42.61%) were negative. The assay for sperm antibodies showed that 482(47.21%) animals were positive, while 539(52.79%) were negative. In the group that was positive for trypanosome infection, 364(62.12%) animals were positive, whereas 222(37.88%) were negative for sperm antibodies (P<0.001). The group that was negative for trypanosome infection, had a significantly lower number and proportion 118(27.13%) of positive compared to 317(72.87%) negative for sperm antibodies. Out of a total 482 goats that were positive for sperm antibodies, a significantly higher number, 364(75.52%), were positive than 118(24.48%) that were negative for trypanosome infection (P<0.001). In the group that was found negative for sperm antibodies, a significantly lower proportion, 222(41.19%), was positive compared to 317(58.81%) that were negative for trypanosome infection (P<0.001). Seropositivity to sperm antibodies was positively correlated to trypanosome infection (P<0.001). Further work on the pathogenesis of sperm antibody production in trypanosome infection is advocated.