Freedom from Tritrichomonas foetus infection in cattle in St. Kitts

• DOI: 10.1007/s11250-018-1537-3
• Publication Date: 2018-02-11T06:43:56Z
• Authors: Kimberly E. Coker; Joseph J. Lim; Rebecca L. Schlei...; Christopher Vosloo; Hilari M. French; Juan C. Samper; John J. Callanan; Robert O. Gilbert; Fortune Sithole; Chaoqun Yao; Aspinas Chapwanya
• Keywords: Male; 0301 basic medicine; 2. Zero hunger; Protozoan Infections; Cattle Diseases; Tritrichomonas foetus; 03 medical and health sciences; Pregnancy; Animals; Cattle; Female; Saint Kitts and Nevis; Protozoan Infections, Animal

Trichomonosis is an endemic disease in cattle that are reared under extensive conditions and bred by natural mating. It causes profound economic losses to the producers by increasing calving interval, increasing embryo losses, and decreasing pregnancy rates. The aim of this study was to determine whether Tritrichomonas foetus infections were absent from cattle in St. Kitts. Using the modified hypergeometric method, preputial samples from bulls (n = 78) were tested using the InPouch™ culture for presence of T. foetus. Results highlighted an absence of trichomoniasis in bulls on St. Kitts with a 95% confidence.