Risk factors associated with bovine trichomoniasis in beef cattle determined by a questionnaire survey

Bovine trichomoniasis has been endemic in the US for several decades. Reasons for this long-lasting endemicity are poorly understood. The main objective of this study was to identify risk factors associated with herds infected with Tritrichomonas foetus in Wyoming beef cattle. This cross-sectional study was conducted by a questionnaire, sent to all Wyoming beef cattle operations. All in all, 863 questionnaires returned from producers throughout the state with various herd sizes were used to analyze the relationship between the disease and 25 variables. Tritrichomonas foetus infections were found to be significantly (p<0.05) associated with a few factors including using allotments fenced off with one or more positive herds (Odds Ratio, OR=18.3, p=0.0003), grazing on public allotments (OR=2.9, p=0.003), and commingling with other herds (OR>999.9, p=0.026). In addition, a delay in fixing broken fences was nearly statistically significant (OR=4.3, p=0.078). This study provides the cattle producers with valuable information and useful suggestions on how to effectively control and reduce the risk of bovine trichomoniasis, a disease that results in substantial economic losses to the beef cattle industry.