The prevalence of Tritrichomonas foetus in cull cows at a southeastern abattoir

Abstract

Trichomoniasis is a sexually transmitted disease in cattle caused by the protozoa, Tritrichomonas foetus. This single-celled, flagellated parasite colonizes the preputial folds of bulls, who serve as asymptomatic carriers of the organism. It is a significant cause of infertility and pregnancy wastage in beef herds. Cows become infected by a carrier bull during breeding, frequently resulting in infertility because of embryonic or early fetal death, abortion, and occasionally pyometra and fetal maceration. Trichomoniasis can be masked by other factors such as poor nutrition, bull subfertility, drought, or other diseases such as leptospirosis and campylobacteriosis. Management practices that perpetuate trichomoniasis include introducing or keeping infected bulls or brood cows in the herd. In some cases, pregnant cows may carry the organism and be a source of infection after calving. Progress in controlling or eradicating trichomoniasis is hampered by the lack of knowledge of its true prevalence throughout the United States. Results of a 2004 report of beef herds in Florida indicated that 11.1% of herds had at least 1 T. foetus-positive bull. Reports documenting the prevalence of T. foetus in beef cows are lacking. Infertility due to infection with T. foetus may be a significant cause of culling in beef cows. However, because of the self-limiting nature of the disease and low sensitivity of culture in cows, testing for T. foetus is not routinely performed on the farm. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of T. foetus in the reproductive tracts obtained from cull cows at a Georgia slaughter plant.