New publication, Trichomoniasis Prevention: The Cost per Cow to Prevent

Preventing Trichomoniasis

Contact: Nick J. Striegel, D.V.M.
Colorado State University Extension
nick.striegel@colostate.edu
303-678-6381

For as little as $1.20 up to less than $3.00 per cow, cattle operations can prevent trichomoniasis from infecting the herd. Two veterinarians from Colorado State University Extension report that the per cow cost could head off the heavy economic and emotional toll of trichomoniasis (Trich). Nick Striegel, a veterinarian based in Longmont, notes that these figures really show the value of Trich testing herd bulls. “The exact cost depends on the size of your herd and how far you live from a veterinary clinic,” says Striegel.

A protozoan organism that lives in the reproductive tract of the cow and in the sheath of the bull’s penis, Trichomonas foetus is spread via sexual contact between a bull and cow. The following can happen when a cow becomes infected:

  • She can become infertile, continuing to cycle until she builds up immunity (Immunity is usually short-lived and the cow can become re-infected).
  • Successful pregnancy aborts early and cow comes back into heat.
  • The fetus may come to full term, the cow remain infected and sheds the infective Trichomoniasis protozoan after calving.

Most often the first clinical sign of trichomoniasis in a herd is an increased percentage of open (one that has not become pregnant) or late cows at the fall pregnancy check. If the fall check is not done, clinical signs in the herd can be reduced calving rate and the potential for a calf crop that is strung out over three to six months. Bulls will show no signs of the disease but can shed the organism indefinitely. To diagnose the disease, a fluid sample is taken from the sheath of the bull’s penis. This preputial sample is sent to a veterinary diagnostic lab where a culture or polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test is performed. Once a diagnosis is made in a herd, control and prevention of future infections involves culling the infected bulls and retesting any negative bulls until three negative tests are obtained.

How much does trichomoniasis cost cattle producers if spread in herds? Total economic impact ranges from $143.00 to $484.00 per cow (based on simulated modeling and actual herd cases of trichomoniasis infection). Call a local veterinarian this spring and have herd bulls tested well before the breeding season gets under way.