Trichomoniasis

Diagnosis, Pathogenesis, Treatment and Control

Abstract

Trichomoniasis is a veneral disease of cattle caused by Tritrichomonasfetus (T. Fetus). Its clinical signs are repeat breeding at both regular and irregular intervals and, occasionally, abortion. These are easy to observe in dairy cattle. However, in beef cattle on western ranges, the first indication of a problem is usually finding over 20-40% of the cows open at the time of fall pregnancy check. By this time the significant economic damage has already been done. Treatment efforts need to be directed primarily toward the infected bull rather than the cow because of the self limiting nature of the disease in cows. When trichomoniasis is diagnosed in dairy herds, it can be controlled most effectively by AI. However, in some herds, management levels may be inadequate to have a successful AI program. In these, natural breeding programs must be tailored to eliminate the infection.