Trich

Trichomoniasis, most commonly known as Trich, is a devastating disease affecting cattle. It causes infertility and early embryonic death, leading to a high percentage of open and/or late-bred cows. The enormous cost of open cows, the veterinary and laboratory costs for investigation and diagnosis, and the costs of culling and replacing animals can lead to considerable economic strain.  

What is Trich, and how is it spread?
Trich is a venereal disease in cattle; the pathogen lives in the genital tracts of cattle and is spread from infected bulls to cows and from infected cows to bulls during breeding. Bulls carry the disease and can remain infected indefinitely. Most cows clear the infection within three to five months, but immunity is short-lived and reinfection is possible.  

The only way that Trich enters a herd is through an infected animal. The most obvious avenue is by introducing an infected bull or cow into the herd. However, it’s not uncommon during shared grazing, or a breach in the boundary fence, for infected neighboring cattle to breed with – and thus infect – a herd.  

What are the symptoms of Trich?
Trich does not cause any apparent illness in infected animals. The only sign that Trich is in the herd is reproductive problems -- a large percentage of open cows, multiple heat cycles, and increased percentage of late-bred cows. During pregnancy diagnosis, your veterinarian might also notice an increased incidence of pyometra, or pus-filled infection of the uterus. 

Depending on the number of Trich-positive bulls turned out with cows, New Mexico State University estimates the loss in the first year’s calf crop can be as high as 50%.