Calvani NED, Šlapeta J, Onizawa E, Eamens K, Jenkins C, Westman ME. Not gone but forgotten:
Tritrichomonas foetus in extensively-managed bulls from Australia's Northern Territory.
CURRENT RESEARCH IN PARASITOLOGY & VECTOR-BORNE DISEASES 2022;
1:100012. [PMID:
35284896 PMCID:
PMC8906082 DOI:
10.1016/j.crpvbd.2021.100012]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2020] [Revised: 01/17/2021] [Accepted: 01/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Bovine trichomonosis, caused by infection with the protozoan parasite Tritrichomonas foetus, is globally recognised as a cause of reproductive failure in cattle. Maintained in clinically normal bulls, T. foetus infection results in infertility and abortion in infected cows. In Australia’s Northern Territory (NT), logistical limitations associated with extensive livestock production inhibit wide-scale testing and diagnosis, allowing the parasite to persist undetected. In the present study, T. foetus was detected in 18/109 preputial cultures collected from bulls on a property in the NT with a history of low birth rates and reproductive failure using real-time PCR testing. Of the T. foetus-positive samples, 13/18 were genotyped using the internal transcribed spacer regions (ITS1 and ITS2) and the 5.8S rDNA unit. Selected samples were further characterised using the protein-coding genes of cysteine proteases (CP-1, 2, 4–9) and cytosolic malate dehydrogenase 1 (MDH-1) to determine if the isolates were ‘bovineʼ, ‘felineʼ or ‘Southern Africaʼ genotypes. All samples were 100% identical to the T. foetus ‘bovine’ genotype across all markers. This is the first reported case of trichomonosis in Australian cattle since 1988 and is a reminder that T. foetus should be considered whenever reproductive failure occurs in extensive cattle systems.
The first published case of bovine trichomonosis in Australia since 1988.
Extensive genotyping of two isolates using 10 divergent markers.
Isolates were determined to be 100% homologous with the Tritrichomonas foetus ‘bovine’ genotype.
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