Morphological differentiation of Tritrichomonas foetus from other protozoa of the bovine reproductive tract.

Tritrichomonas foetus is a protozoan parasite associated with reproductive failure in the bovine. Its incidence has effectively been controlled in the UK, as in many other countries, through a policy of testing of breeding animals and the widespread use of artificial insemination (AI). As a result there have been only two cases of bovine trichomoniasis in the UK over the past 20 years. Despite the virtual absence of T. foetus in bovine preputial and vaginal samples, routine examinations have occasionally revealed the presence of motile protozoa which require careful identification. In this paper, the morphological characteristics of T. foetus, and other protozoa isolated from the bovine reproductive tract, are presented.