Articles concerning trichomoniasis found in Ozarks Farm & Neighbor past issues.
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TRICHOMONIASIS
Rod Hall, DVM
Staff Veterinarian, Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry
Trichomoniasis is a venereal disease of cattle caused by an organism called Tritrichomonas foetus. It has caused significant economic losses in American cattle herds for many years due to the nature of the disease. Economic losses in affected herds occur due to smaller and less uniform calf crops, costs of culling and subsequent replacements, and increased veterinary expense.
Bulls carry the protozoa only on the penis and preputial membranes where they localize in the lining of the rear portion of the prepuce. Bulls show no outward signs of the disease, and it does not affect their semen quality or sexual behavior.
Cows that become infected by a carrier bull usually miscarry or abort in early pregnancy. Symptoms are not usually seen in individual animals, but uterine infections and abortions may be noticed in the herd. Infection results in cows breeding over an extended period of time. In a herd with a short breeding period, as high as 50% of the cows may be open at pregnancy testing time. In herds where the bull runs with the cows throughout the year, cows will settle and carry a calf. However, they calve on the average of once every 18-20 months instead of once every12 months as they should.
Diagnosis is normally achieved by collecting some material from the back of the bull’s sheath, inoculating the collection into transport media, transporting to an approved laboratory where it is incubated (cultured), and examining the specimen for the organism. Testing by PCR is a more recent and more sensitive method of diagnosis which is performed from the same specimen as the culture test.
Management of an infected herd involves selling all infected bulls, allowing cows to cycle 2-4 times to clear the disease, and possibly vaccinating the cows. The vaccine is available by itself or in combination with Vibrio and Lepto. Good herdsmanship and management practices are very important in keeping a herd clean.
Many states have enacted regulations against this disease. States in the western part of the U.S. are more apt to have regulations than states in the east. If you export cattle, you should have your veterinarian call the state of destination as soon as possible because some testing protocols may take several weeks.
Oklahoma passed regulations in 2008 that require a negative Trichomoniasis test for bulls within 30 days prior to entry into the state. Bulls from an infected herd must have 3 negative tests within 30 days prior to entry, while virgin bulls may enter without a test, but must have a statement to that effect on the CVI.
Oklahoma’s legislature passed regulations this spring that will go into effect January 1, 2011 making it mandatory for bulls changing ownership to have a negative test for Trichomoniasis. This includes bulls sold by private treaty or public auction, leased bulls, and bulls being traded or loaned. Exceptions to the testing requirements will be bulls less than 24 months of age that can be certified as virgin bulls, bulls that are going directly to slaughter, and cutter bulls. Bulls consigned to a Livestock Market that are not tested but are purchased by a person who will use them for breeding will be sampled at the market by the market veterinarian and allowed to go to the buyer’s premise under quarantine until negative test results are received. If the bull tests positive for Trichomoniasis he must be sold for slaughter only and monetary losses will be the responsibility of the purchaser.
We encourage you to be aware of this disease and the affects it can have on your cattle herd. If you suspect a problem in your herd’s reproduction or are not getting an appropriate calving percentage, ask your veterinarian about this disease.
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THE UDDER SIDE OF THE STORY
In the last ten to twelve years we have had a new disease come into our area of NW Arkansas. It has been traveling east for quite some time. The name of this disease is TRICHOMONIASIS, caused be Trichomonas fetus. This disease causes early embryonic death of the fetus, usually in the first 90 days, but may also cause late term abortion. This is a true sexually transmitted disease (STD) of cattle. Bulls that are infected with Trick (Trichomoniasis) act and appear normal but they continue to spread the disease. Trichomonas fetus lives in the prepuce of the bull’s penis and is transmitted to the cow during intercourse or breeding. This organism is a protozoon and will live in the prepuce of the bull for the rest of his life and for up to 4-6 months in the cranial vault of the vagina of the cow.
The only way to know if you have this disease in your herd is to test. You might be suspicious if you notice a lot of cows either open at preg check time or see a lot of cows breeding back within the first trimester of pregnancy. Cows are hard to test for this disease since; they will clear the disease within 4-6 months. The only accurate way to check a cow is to catch her in heat and do a cervical scraping. The bull on the other hand is very easy. At any point in time you can do a preputial scraping. This is done with a hard plastic pipette with the bull in a secure squeeze chute. The pipette is put into the bull’s sheath and ran back and forth until you have some pink liquid and tissue in the pipette. This sample is then sent to the lab for either culture or PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction Test). The culture is then read under the microscope after a few days of incubation. The PCR test is done and results are sent back within the week. This PCR test is the better way to go. The PCR has greater specificity and greater sensitivity. Plus, the results are not taking 10-14 days to get back. It has also been shown scientifically that only two PCR tests done at 2-3 week intervals will validate a bull negative. If using the culture method we will need 3 tests done at 2-3 week intervals to validate a bull negative.
The reason we test more than once when dealing with this disease is the variability with sampling and testing procedures. One positive test will knock the bull out. No approved treatment or vaccine exists for bulls. So, this will mean the bull goes to the packer and is sold. And because this disease can knock out 50% of your calf crop in just one year, I would like to be sure we have eliminated the disease from your herd. With the cows there is a vaccine that will help some. However, I do not know the efficiency of this vaccine and the cost is quite high. The first year it takes 2 doses 2-4 weeks apart and then yearly boosters at a cost of around $5.00 per dose.
In the last ten years I have diagnosed Trick 3 times. I just diagnosed Trick in a herd of cattle in Washington County, Arkansas last month. Now to get rid of Trick we have to test all bulls at least twice with the PCR test. Then I recommend preg checking all cows. Any bull testing positive at any time will be culled and sold for slaughter only. Any cow that is not second stage pregnant or that does not have a calf under two months of age will be culled and sold for slaughter. With the cows you do have another option and that is to keep all cows and give them 6 months sexual rest. Then you can turn in Trick validated negative bulls to start breeding again.
This 6 month hole in breeding will mean no calf crop for almost 18 months and no calves to sell for at least 1-2 years. This puts a serious drain on your cash flow and pocketbook.
Our state veterinarian has already put an emergency law in to force requiring all non-virgin bulls coming into our state to be tested negative for Trick. This regulation is Act 87 of 1963 (Code 2-33-101) and Act 150 of 1985 (Code 19-6-448). This regulation states that any bull brought into this state without being accompanied by a negative test for Trichomoniasis shall not be comingled with any cow unless the bull is tested and found to be negative for Trichomoniasis prior to comingling. This was enacted under the emergency provisions of the state veterinarian May 15th, 2009 and is going from emergency to standard law right now. I encourage anyone buying bulls out of state to have them tested negative for Trick prior to bringing them into our state and your herd.
Tim E. O’Neill, DVM
Country Veterinary Service
PO Box 87
12377 Jimmy Devault Rd.
Farmington, AR. 72730
Ph: 479-267-2685
Fax: 479-267-5633
Email: [email protected]
