| Livestock Disease Summaries | नेपाली भाषा |
Sexually Transmitted Diseases of Cattle and Buffalo
There are two major sexually-transmitted (venereal) diseases that affect cattle and buffalo:
- Trichomoniasis is caused by a single-celled protozoan organism called Tritrichomonas foetus.
- Vibriosis or bovine genital Campylobacteriosis is a bacterial disease caused by Campylobacter fetus venerealis or Campylobacter fetus fetus.
Although these two diseases are caused by totally different types of organisms, they are similar in several ways:
- The are transmitted from bulls to cows by natural breeding or through artificial insemination with contaminated semen
- Bulls infected with the organisms do not show signs of disease and their semen quality is normal.
- Both types of infection result in inflammation of the uterus resulting in infertility and abortions that occur from early to late in gestation.
Trichomoniasis
Transmission and Clinical Signs of Infection
In infected bulls, the organism lives in and around the penis and prepuce and that location explains how the organism can infect cows at breeding or contaminate semen collected for artificial insermination.
When a cow is bred to an infected bull or inseminated with contaminated semen, the organism infects and spreads through the reproductive tract. Infection of the uterus leads to an inflammatory response to usually terminates the pregnancy. This inflammatory response usually lasts 50-60 days and then the cow’s immune system clears the infection. Most commonly, introduction of the organism does not prevent conception, but leads to pregnancy lost in subsequent months. Most of the time, the inflammation due to trichomoniasis lasts 50 to 60 days and the cow clears the infection at this time and will rebreed if the bull still is available for service. During the period of infection, pregnancy loss, abortion and pyometra (pus-filled uterus) occurs. The common picture in an infected herd include:
- Poor pregnancy rates
- Delayed return to estrus after breeding
- An extended breeding season and temporary infertility.
- Abortions after several months of gestation
Diagnosis of Trichomoniasis
It is difficult to diagnose Trichomoniasis using samples from cows. The best method for diagnosing this disease is to regularly test bulls. Samples of preputial scrapings or fluid are sent to a laboratory where they are cultured for several days in specific medium and then examined with a microscope to detect the organism. Centers that collect and freeze bull semen for artificial insemination usually test all of their bulls every 3-4 months.
Be aware that Trichomonas organisms are very fragile and easy to kill. If you collect samples from a bull for diagnosis, get them to the laboratory as soon as possible and do not ship on ice packs.
Treatment and Control of Trichomoniasis
There is no known treatment or effective vaccine for Trichomoniasis. Control is based on insuring that breeding bulls are not infected. Infected bulls can be infected for very long periods of time and should be removed from the breeding herd of artificial insemination center.
Vibriosis (Bovine Genital Campylobacteriosis)
Transmission and Clinical Signs of Infection
This infection is very similar to Trichomoniasis but caused by a bacterium that is usually transmitted from bull to cow by natural breeding or artificial insemination. Clinical signs:
- Infected bulls and cows appear clinically normal
- Semen quality in infected bulls is normal
- Irregular estrous cycles
- Prolonged breeding season
- Early fetal death and abortion in some cases
- Some cows can remain infected for several years
Treatment and Control of Vibriosis
As with Trichomoniasis, control is based on regular testing of bulls for infection. In contrast to Trichomoniasis, there is an effective vaccine for vibriosis. Another control measure is to use artificial insemination with semen collected from bulls free of infection.
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