Tritrichomonas foetus in bulls in the State of Pernambuco,Brazil*
Júnior Mário Baltazar de Oliveira1+, Antônio Fernando Barbosa Batista Filho2, Jonas
de Melo Borges2, Larice Bruna Ferreira Soares2, Luis Miguel Ortega-Mora3, Daniel
Friguglietti Brandespim4, Rinaldo Aparecido Mota4 and José Wilton Pinheiro Júnior4.ABSTRACT. de Oliveira J.M.B., Batista Filho A.F.B., Borges J. de M., Soares
L.B.F., Ortega-Mora L.M., Brandespim D.F., Mota R.A. & Pinheiro Júnior J.W.
Tritrichomonas foetus in bulls in the State of Pernambuco, Brazil. [Tritrichomonas
foetus em touros no estado de Pernambuco, Brasil.] Revista Brasileira de
Medicina Veterinária, 38(0):00-00, 2016. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Sanidade
e Reprodução de Ruminantes. Unidade Acadêmica de Garanhuns, Universidade
Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Av. Bom Pastor s/n, Boa Vista, Garanhuns,
Pernambuco, 55296-901, Brazil. E-mail: juniormariobaltazar@gmail.com
The aim of the present study was to investigate the occurrence of Tritrichomonas
foetus in bulls in the state of Pernambuco, Brazil. In total, 105 samples of
preputial smegma were collected from bulls in service belonging to different
herds (n=63) and slaughterhouses (n=42). Genomic DNA extraction from collected
samples was carried out to identify the agent in the samples and they
were also submitted to the polymerase chain reaction. A frequency of 6.6%
(2.7 – 13.2%; C.I. 95%) was found for T. foetus. None of the slaughterhouse samples
were positive. With regards to the number of foci, 21.8% (7/32) of the
properties contained animals that were positive for T. foetus. In conclusion, T.
foetus infection occurred in bulls in this way, this agent should be included in
the diagnosis in animal health control programs. Therefore, as the removal of
infected bulls and their replacement by younger animals, should be implemented
in order to avoid the dissemination of the agent in herds.
KEY WORDS. Bovines, trichomonosis, PCR, prevention.
