Trichomoniasis Overview: The Disease, History, & Management

Jeff D. Ondrak DVM, MSGreat Plains Veterinary Educational Center

jondrak@gpvec.unl.edu

Tritrichomonas foetus

• Tri = 3; trich = hair• Highly contagious

venereal disease• Obligate parasite of the

bovine reproductive tract

History

• 1888 France • 1920’s World-wide• 1932 Pennsylvania dairy cows• 1958 Western U.S. beef herds

Courtesy of VectorTemplates.com

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T. foetus in Females

Disease Process• Infection leads to

inflammation, but does not interfere with conception

• Early embryonic death and abortion at 50 – 80 days

• Immune response clears infection

• Infertility for 2-5 months => normal fertility

• Unusual outcomes

Clinical Signs• Mild discharge• Return to estrus• Extended calving season• ≥ 40% reduction in %

pregnant cows

Carrier Cows

• No apparent carrier cows Barling et. al. Bov Pract 2005

• Post calving– 63-97 days Goodger et. al. JAVMA 1986

– 9 weeks Skirrow JAVMA 1987

• Post breeding– 22 months Alexander Aust Vet J 1953

– 300 days Mancebo et. al. Vet Parasitol 1995

T. foetus in Males

Disease Process• No tissue invasion• No detectable immune

response• Preputial crypts aid in

parasite survival• Chronic carriers in bulls

> 3 years of age

Clinical Signs• None

(Courtesy of Dr. Bruce Brodersen, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory)

Treatment• Test and slaughter!

Testing Errors

• Pre-analytical Phase– Error sources include wrong sample, mishandled

sample, improper sample collection, etc. • Analytical Phase (the equipment/technician)– Error sources include mechanical wear and tear,

bad sensors, inherent errors, software errors, and improper cutoff values.

• Post-analytical Phase– Reporting errors include misread or misreported

values, transposition of figures, etc.Reports from our human counterparts indicate up to 90% of diagnostic test error occurs in the pre and post analytical phase of testing. While less than 10-13% of the error occurs during the analytical phase.

Trich and the Bad “B” Word

Herd Health Assurance:At-risk Herds

• Communication• Veterinarian producer• Producer producer

• Planned grazing• Appropriate fencing

• Maintain a closed herd• Monitor fences and cattle

• Observe regulations• Purchase only virgin or pregnant replacements• Isolate and test herd additions• Isolate and test herd reintroductions

• Utilize artificial insemination

• Records

b 12.2% open in the exposed group

a 8.9% open in the exposed group

20044.8%

20055.4%

200613.9%

200727.0%Herd A (1500 cows)

4.1% 3.8% 4.2%a 4.2%bHerd B (3000 cows)

Herd C (3000 cows)Historically

~7%200814%

Group % Open12345

9% 8%15%14%19%

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 450

5

10

15

20

25

f(x) = 0.264740342717172 x + 8.9923856753992R² = 0.974275204062391

Percent T. foetus infected bulls

Per

cen

t n

on

-pre

gn

ant

cow

s

Herd Health Assurance:At-risk Herds

• Communication• Veterinarian producer• Producer producer

• Planned grazing• Appropriate fencing

• Maintain a closed herd• Monitor fences and cattle

• Observe regulations• Purchase only virgin or pregnant replacements• Isolate and test herd additions• Isolate and test herd reintroductions

• Utilize artificial insemination

• Surveillance testing• Records

Herd Health Assurance:Low Risk Herds

• Communication• Veterinarian producer• Producer producer

• Maintain a closed herd

• Monitor fences and cattle

• Observe regulations

• Purchase only virgin or pregnant replacements or purchase from a reputable source

• Isolate and test herd reintroductions?

• Utilize artificial insemination

• Records

• Surveillance testing?????

Herd Health Assurance:Infected Herds

• Test and cull

• Bull management

• Communication• Veterinarian producer• Producer producer

Comparison of First Test Efficiency

1st

Culture 8

2nd

2

3rd

1

Total

11

First Test Efficiency

.73

95% CI

.39-.94

q PCR 9 3 0 12 .75 .43-.95

Gel PCR 8 4 1 13 .62 .32-.86

Herd Health Assurance:Infected Herds

• Utilize artificial insemination

• Maintain a young bull battery

• Test and cull

• Establish “clean” and “dirty” herds

• Surveillance testing

• Cull all non-productive cows

• Bull management

• Cow management

• Cull

• Communication

• Veterinarian producer

• Producer producer

• Records

“…it is my opinion that if more care was taken in the sale and purchase of barren cows, in the purchase of bulls of breeding age, and if the farmers could be sufficiently educated to the unique opportunities for control that this disease offers, then its total elimination should be practicable in the quite near future.”

H.P. Harding The Veterinary RecordSeptember 16, 1950

Questions?