Abstract
Bovine trichomoniasis is a venereal disease caused by the protozoa Tritrichomonas foetus. The aim of the study was to investigate the prevalence of T. foetus in cattle and associated risk factors. A total of 200 samples from 183 cows and 17 bulls were collected from Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Bangladesh Agricultural University; Mymensingh district and Regional station of Bangladesh Livestock Research Institute in Shahjadpur, Sirajgonj during the period from March 2015 to May 2016. Among 200 cattle, 65 were indigenous, 100 were Holstein cross and 35 were Shahiwal cross bred. The collected samples were vaginal and uterine washing, aborted foetus and semen. The samples were collected from vagina and uterus by flashing with phosphate buffer solution by artificial insemination tube connected with 20 ml syringe. The samples were examined for T. foetus under microscope. The samples were examined on the same day of collection. Out of 200 samples examined, 3 (1.5%) were found infected with T. foetus protozoa. Among these 3 positive cases of tritrichomoniasis, one was detected in aborted foetal materials and other two were detected in vaginal washings. We did not find any T. foetus in the semen samples from the bulls. Therefore, bulls represent zero prevalence of T. foetus. During the study period the examined animals were categorized into three age groups viz. 40, 60 and 100 cattle for below 3 years, over 3 years to below 6 years and over 6 years to ten years, respectively. The prevalence rate was found in adult cattle over 6 years (>610 years) was 2.00%, over 3 years (>36 years) was 1.66% and below 3 years (<3 years) was 0%. In the study, prevalence rate of cross bred animals were 2.22% and no infection was found in indigenous bred. So, this preliminary study indicates that a low prevalence rate of bovine trichomoniasis present in cattle in this study area. Further investigation using serological and molecular method will help to detect precisely the prevalence of this important sexually transmitted protozoan disease in cattle. To our best knowledge, this is the first study on the prevalence of bovine tritrichomoniasis in Bangladesh except a single clinical case reported in 1974. This study also indicate that bovine tritrichomoniasis has a minor role related to abortion of cattle in Bangladesh.J. Bangladesh Agril. Univ. 15(1): 47-54, January 2017
Highlights
T. foetus is an obligatory protozoa of reproductive tract of cattle
A total of 200 samples from cattle were examined in which 3 samples were found positive for T. foetus infection that indicates an overall prevalence 1.5% (3/200) (Table 1 & Fig. 1)
From the result of present study, it was observed that bovine trichomoniasis was prevalent in the research area and 1.5% cattle were infected with T. foetus
Summary
T. foetus is an obligatory protozoa of reproductive tract of cattle. The disease characterized primarily by early pregnancy loss and occasionally by abortion and pyometra. The causative agent, T. foetus is a flagellated protozoan parasite sexually transmitted among cattle from infected, asymptomatic bulls to heifers or cows at the time of coitus and vice versa and mechanical transmission by artificial insemination, instrument or by gynecological examination (BonDurant, 1997; Parsonson et al, 1974). Infected cows and heifers exhibit vaginitis, endometritis, early abortion, transient and permanent infertility (Felleisen, 1999). Infected bulls are often asymptomatic carriers of T. foetus. They are very efficient in transmitting the organism to a cow or heifer during coitus. Older bulls tend to become permanent carriers of T. foetus, perhaps as a result of the development of epithelial crypts in the preputial cavity of older bulls
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