Trichomoniasis Overview – The Disease, History, & Management - Dr. Jeff Ondrak, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, from the 2014 NIAA Annual Conference titled 'The Precautionary Principle: How Agriculture Will Thrive', March 31 - April 2, 2014, Omaha, NE, USA. More presentations at http://www.trufflemedia.com/agmedia/conference/2014_niaa_how_animal_agriculture_will_thrive

1. Trichomoniasis Overview: The
Disease, History, & Management
Jeff D. Ondrak DVM, MS
Great Plains Veterinary Educational Center
jondrak@gpvec.unl.edu

2. Tritrichomonas foetus
• Tri = 3; trich = hair
• Highly contagious
venereal disease
• Obligate parasite of the
bovine reproductive tract

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

4. Courtesy of VectorTemplates.com

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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!

10. 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.

11. Trich and the Bad “B” Word

12. 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

13. b 12.2% open in the exposed group
a 8.9% open in the exposed group
2004
4.8%
2005
5.4%
2006
13.9%
2007
27.0%Herd A (1500 cows)
4.1% 3.8% 4.2%a
4.2%bHerd B (3000 cows)
Herd C (3000 cows)
Historically
~7%
2008
14%
Group % Open
1
2
3
4
5
9%
8%
15%
14%
19%

14. y = 0.264x + 8.992
R² = 0.974
0
5
10
15
20
25
0 10 20 30 40 50
Percentnon-pregnantcows
Percent T. foetus infected bulls

15. 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

16. 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?????

17. Herd Health Assurance:
Infected Herds
• Test and cull
• Bull management
• Communication
• Veterinarian  producer
• Producer  producer

18. 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

19. 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

20. “…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 Record
September 16, 1950

21. Questions?