Prevalence of trichomoniasis among California beef herds

• Published in: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association Vol. 196; no. 10; p. 1590
• Main Authors: BonDurant, R.H. (University of California, Davis, CA), Anderson, M.L, Blanchard, P, Hird, D, Danaye-Elmi, C, Palmer, C, Sischo, W.M, Suther, D, Utterback, W, Weigler, B.J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 15.05.1990
• Subjects: Age Factors; Animals; BEEF CATTLE; BOVIN DE BOUCHERIE; BULLS; CALIFORNIA; California - epidemiology; CALIFORNIE; Cattle; Cattle Diseases - epidemiology; GANADO DE CARNE; HATOS; HERDS; INCIDENCE; INFECCIONES POR PROTOZOARIOS; Information Systems; Male; Prevalence; PROTOZOAL INFECTIONS; Protozoan Infections - epidemiology; Protozoan Infections, Animal; PROTOZOOSE; Random Allocation; Smegma - parasitology; TAUREAU; TORO; TRITRICHOMONAS; Tritrichomonas - isolation & purification; TRITRICHOMONAS FOETUS; TROUPEAU; California
• ISSN: 0003-1488; 1943-569X
• DOI: 10.2460/javma.1990.196.10.1590

Sixty cow-half herds of more than 50 cows each were randomly selected for a prevalence survey of bovine trichomoniasis in California. Herd size, as judged by the number of bulls, ranged from 1 to 210 bulls (median = 8; mean = 59 +/- 15.8). Preputial smegma was collected from 729 bulls (median = 6 bulls/herd) and cultured for Tritrichomonas foetus. Of 57 herds from which samples were collected, 9 (15.8%) had at least one infected bull. Of the 729 bulls from which samples were cultured, 30 (4.1%) were infected. Correcting for sensitivity of the diagnostic test yielded a prevalence of 5.0%. Infection rates for bulls greater than 3 years old and less than or equal to 3 years old were 6.7% and 2.0%, respectively (P less than 0.025). Median herd sizes were 14 bulls (range, 6 to 114) for infected herds and 7 (range, 1 to 210) for uninfected herds. These findings suggest that trichomoniasis is common in California beef herds. Because several bulls less than 4 years old were infected, we suggest that control measures stressing replacement of older bulls with younger ones should be combined with diagnostic procedures in those younger replacements, to ensure that they are not already infected.