Dr. Waqas Nawaz PMAS arid agriculture university rawalpindi

1. Trichomonas

2. Texonomy
Kingdom Protista
Phylum Protozoa
Subphylum Sarcomastigophora
Class Mastigophora
Genera Trichomonas
Species T.feotus
T.vaginalis
T.gallinae

3. General characteristics
 Imp. Pathogen in cattle(host)
 Present in reproductive tract & on the
surface of the bull’s penis & prepuce
 Prevelence was all over the world but now
decreasing due to AI
 Transmitted to cows during coitus
 Most cows self-cure after developing
immunity.
 Bulls however are permanent carriers and
sources of infection

4. Structure
 Pear shaped
 Size 20 x 10 micron meter
 3 free flagella anterior (total 4)
 1 makes the undulating memberane
 Microtubules forms tube like axostyle
which forms the skeleton & gives shape
 Axostyle which run from the nucleus down
the center of the body and extend from the
end of the body.
 Possess an undulating membrane extend
the entire length

5.  Single nucleus is also present
 Shows jerky movement in the fresh
discharge of bull & cow due to the flagella
and undulating memberane
 Type: Mucosoflagellated Protozoa
 This is a parasite of the reproductive tract
of bovines.
 The parasite is transmitted by coitus

6. Trichomonas foetus
You are not responsible
for this parasite!

7. Sign and symptoms:
 IN BULL
 The severity of the disease varies from
mild to sever
 Asymptomatic in bull
 Inflammed prepuce
 IN FEMALE
 Low grade inflammation
 Severity
 Poor conception rate

8. Pathogenesis:
 Early abortion occurs 1 to 16 weeks
after fertilization. If the fetus and all the
fetal membranes are not excreted from the
cow, the cow may die or become sterile. If
the fetus and the membranes are passed
the cow may become immune to the
parasite
 Bulls serve as the carries. The parasite
can even survive in frozen semen.

9. LIFE CYCLE
 Direct: Cattle become infected by direct
contact with the trophozoite stage during
coitus
 cysts are not formed
 Transmission may also occur during
artificial insemination
 Trophozoites multiply by asexual binary
fission
 Uterine discharge, irregular estrus cycles,
and permanent sterility can result

11. Cont....
 If bull is infected with trichomonas, animal
remain infected for whole life
 These are present in the perpitual cavity
 The pathogenic lesions that are
associated with small vacuoles in the
perpitual cavity
 They are transmitted from bull to cow by
coitus
 They move from vagina to uterus
 When it is in uterus it causes LOW
GRADE ENDOMATRITIS(heamorhage in

12.  If animal is pragnant abortion may occure
 In cow-abortion before 4 th month otherwise
cow normally recovered
 The featel memberane retained & it
causes ENDOMETRITIS which disturbs
the normal cycle due to persistant
discharge bcz cow remains in an esterus
phase,cervix remains closed when
excessive virulent discharge from the
female repr.tract due to T.featus
 PYOMETRA  (pus in uterus) or it is
infection in uterus

13. Diagnosis
 Diagnosis is based on microscopic
evaluation of the trophozoite stage
 A positive diagnosis of bovine
trichomoniasis requires the isolation of
trophozoites 10-15 microns long with 3
anterior flagella and a trailing flagellum,
seen by microscopic examination of
vaginal mucus or saline washings of
preputial or fetal tissues

14. Cont....
 Discharge
 Serological use(Mucus agglutination test)
 Smears
 Culture remains

15. Treatment and Control
 By using AI(artificial insemination)
technique
 Anti-protozool drug
 No treatment for cows(autoimmune)
 Bulls can be treated, but the
antitrichomonal salves used to treat,it
takes a lot of time and is expensive
 To control this parasite bulls that are
infected should not be put with a herd of
cows

16. Cont...
 Infected bulls should be slaughtered, if not
valuable
 Wash uterus with iodine solution with
antibodies for desiring of next parturation