Tritrichomonas foetus

Tritrichomonas foetus
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
(unranked):	Excavata
Phylum:	Metamonada
Class:	Parabasalia
Order:	Tritrichomonadida
Family:	Tritrichomonadidae
Genus:	Tritrichomonas
Species:	T. foetus
Binomial name
Tritrichomonas foetus (Riedmueller, 1928)

Tritrichomonas foetus is a species of single-celled flagellated parasites that is known to be a pathogen of the bovine reproductive tract as well as the intestinal tract of cats. In cattle, the organism is transmitted to the female vagina and uterus from the foreskin of the bull where the parasite is known to reside. It causes infertility, and, at times, has caused spontaneous abortions in the first trimester. In the last ten years, there have been reports of Tritrichomonas foetus in the feces of young cats that have diarrhea and live in households with multiple cats.

Tritrichomonas foetus is the genus Tritrichomonas within the order Trichomonadida in the Kingdom . The parasite is 5-25 µm in size and is spindle shaped with four flagella, which are whiplike projections, and an undulating or wavy membrane. Their movement is jerky and in a forward direction, and they also do "barrel rolls". The organisms look like small tadpoles with small tails when viewed microscopically. The parasite interacts with bacteria that normally reside in the intestinal tract by adhering to the intestinal epithelium of the host.

Bulls do not show any clinical signs of infections and can infect females at mating. In cows, there may be infertility, embryonic death and abortion, and reproductive tract infections such as pyometra. Cows may show outward signs of infection, namely a sticky, white vaginal discharge, which may occur for up to two months after the initial infection. The disease results in abortion of the embryo, often within ten days of conception. Evidence of repeat breeding or infertility may be a sign of trichomoniasis. After the abortion of the fetus and the cow's return to a normal estrous cycle, the cow may come into estrus again, at which point it may be bred again. Eventually the cow will be able to cycle normally and carry a fetus to term. However, the irregularities after initial infection present obvious clinical signs of reproductive inconsistencies, which should be examined by a veterinarian immediately. One fact that should be noted is that bulls remain infected for life, but cows can successfully clear the infection, but reinfection is likely.

Diagnosis can be done on both males and females; however, bulls are tested more since they remain carriers. In cattle, a presumptive diagnosis can be made from the signs of infertility and geography. Diagnosis may rely on microscopic examination of vaginal or preputial smears. Complement fixation can be performed to detect parasite antibodies in vaginal secretions.

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Wikipedia