In vitro culture of Tritrichomonas foetus in bovine cervico-vaginal fluid

PARADISO, FRANCO; OYHENART, JORGE

EXPERIMENTAL PARASITOLOGY

ACADEMIC PRESS INC ELSEVIER SCIENCE

Año: 2023 vol. 249

0014-4894

Tritrichomonas foetus is the causative agent of bovine trichomonosis, a venereal disease that can lead to fetal loss. T. foetus proliferates in the vagina and cervix and invades the uterus and fetal cavities. It is not clear how T. foetus grows in the host or how its infection rarely demonstrable after 4 months, is controlled. Cervical vaginal mucus (CVM) is a protective barrier against potentially harmful microorganisms. Here, we demonstrate that bovine CVM is a medium in which this protozoan parasite can grow in vitro. T. foetus multiplied at different rates depending on the time of the estrous period from which the CVM was obtained. Growth rates were higher in CVM obtained 7–10 days after estrus.