Comparison of sampling and culture methods for the diagnosis of Tritrichomonas foetus infection in bulls

Abstract

Sampling methods for preputial secretions and culture methods for Tritrichomonas foetus were compared in a two-by-two factorial experiment. Fourteen bulls were confirmed as infected by repeated weekly sampling and culture on Diamond's medium over the course of 10 months. In a six-week test of alternative methods of diagnosis, the bulls were randomly assigned to have their preputial contents sampled weekly either by washing or by scraping of the preputial membrane. The samples were cultured on Claussen's medium and in InPouch packets at 37 degrees C in air for seven days. The results were compared by McNemar's chi 2 test for symmetry. Washing yielded 69 positive cultures from 84 samples whereas scraping yielded 65 from 83. These differences were not statistically significant. InPouch culture detected 73 of 83 samples from positive bulls, whereas Claussen's medium detected 61 of 83. The difference in sensitivity between the two culture methods was highly significant (P = 0.0027), with the InPouch method 'missing' two positive samples that were detected by Claussen's medium and Claussen's medium missing 14 positive samples that were detected by InPouch culture.

Comparison of the Diagnostic Sensitivity of a Commercially Available Culture Kit and a Diagnostic Culture Test Using Diamond's Media for DiagnosingTritrichomonas Foetusin Bulls

“…Published estimates of the sensitivity of tests using Diamond's medium range from 81.6% to 93.2%. 14,15 The estimate of diagnostic sensitivity for the test using Diamond's medium developed in this study is similar to that developed in a study from testing a group of bulls in a clinical situation (81.6%). 15 In that study, 75 T. foetusinfected bulls were identified from a larger group of bulls that were tested 3 times.…”

“…1,11,14,15 Diamond's 7 medium is commonly used for this purpose, and estimates of its diagnostic sensitivity range from 81.6% to 93.2%. 14,15 It must be noted that the actual formulations of Diamond's medium used in individual studies may have varied slightly. A commercially available culture kit a has been introduced and is now widely used.…”

“…2 Estimates of its diagnostic sensitivity range from 88.0% to 98.4%. 1,11,14 Not all these estimates of sensitivity have been developed with bulls of known infection status. The objective of this study was to compare the sensitivity of 2 culture-based diagnostic tests for diagnosing T. foetus in bulls.…”

Tritrichomonas foetus: Prevalence study in naturally mating bulls in Switzerland

“…Live bulls used in natural service were sampled by preputial washings using sterile isotonic saline (Schönmann et al, 1994). Those samples were sent in 15 ml Falcon ® tubes at ambient temperature and arrived within four to 24 h at the IPB.…”

A Simple and Rapid Method for Staining Tritrichomonas Foetus and Trichomonas Vaginalis

“…5 Currently, the most practical and common methods of diagnosing bovine and human trichomoniasis include direct microscopic examination and/ or in vitro cultivation of preputial samples (bulls) and vaginal mucus (women or cows). 5,10,12 However, in some cases, the samples collected from cattle might be contaminated with intestinal or coprophilic flagellates that are morphologically similar to T. foetus. Medically nonimportant gut flagellates that could be misidentified as T. foetus include Bodo foetus, Cercomonas crassicauda, Monocercomonas ruminantium, Protrichomonas ruminantium, Spiromonas angusta, and, particularly, Pentatrichomonas hominis and Tritrichomonas enteris.…”