Antimicrobial resistance in seminal bacteria: Challenges for male fertility and ART applications | ||
| Microbes and Infectious Diseases | ||
| Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available Online from 23 June 2025 | ||
| Document Type: Review Article | ||
| DOI: 10.21608/mid.2025.386220.2803 | ||
| Authors | ||
| Satya Narayan Samatray* 1; Soumya Jhal1; Gopal Purohit2; Soumya Dash3 | ||
| 1School of Paramedics and Allied Health Sciences; Centurion University of Technology and Management; Odisha, India | ||
| 2Heredity Biosciences, Plot No:818, Mayfair Lagoon Road, Jayadev Vihar, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India | ||
| 33Fertility specialist, Ankura Medical and research Center, Near Sisubhavan Bus Stop, Bapuji Nagar, Bhubaneswar, Odisha 751009, India | ||
| Abstract | ||
| Background: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in semen bacteria impacts male fertility and assisted reproductive technologies (ART). The male reproductive system hosts microorganisms like Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Ureaplasma spp., and Mycoplasma spp., which impair fertility through inflammation, oxidative stress, sperm DNA fragmentation, and membrane damage. Growing AMR profiles among seminal pathogens reduce treatment effectiveness. This review explores how resistant bacteria in semen affect reproductive health and ART outcomes. Infections that are resistant have been linked to a 30–50% decline in sperm motility and can lead to up to a 40% reduction in the success of embryo development during ART procedures. These infections result in leukocytospermia, reduced motility, abnormal morphology, and decreased fertilization rates. Resistance mechanisms include efflux pump overexpression, biofilm formation, plasmid-mediated gene transfer, and antibiotic degradation. Conventional diagnostics often fail to identify resistance patterns, causing ineffective treatments. In IVF and ICSI, resistant bacteria compromise sperm integrity and embryo development. AMR screening in seminal microbiota should be standard for fertility assessments, with antimicrobial stewardship in managing infertility. Innovations in diagnostics, targeted antimicrobial strategies, and microbiome interventions are essential for ART success. | ||
| Keywords | ||
| Antimicrobial resistance (AMR); Seminal microbiota; Male infertility; Assisted reproductive technology (ART); Urogenital infections | ||
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