Bovine Trichomoniasis “Trich” - The Texas Story - Dee Ellis, DVM MPA, Texas Animal Health Commission, Executive Director/State Vet, from the 2014 NIAA Annual Conference titled 'The Precautionary Principle: How Agriculture Will Thrive', March 31 - April 2, 2014, Omaha, NE, USA. More presentations at http://www.trufflemedia.com/agmedia/conference/2014_niaa_how_animal_agriculture_will_thrive

1. Bovine Trichomoniasis
“Trich”
The Texas Story
Dee Ellis, DVM MPA
Texas Animal Health Commission
Executive Director/State Vet
www.tahc.state.tx.us

2. Texas Trichomoniasis Program
www.tahc.state.tx.us
• Started Jan 1 2010
• Industry Driven
• Took best practices from other states
• Control concept(not eradication)
• Cow herd not affected
• Vets must be trained
• Official labs will run regulatory tests

3. Trich Program requested by:
• Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Assoc.
• Independent Cattlemen’s Association
• Texas Farm Bureau
• Texas Veterinary Medical Association
Working Group Created
Meets Annually to evaluate Program

6. Change of
ownership
• Untested bulls to slaughter or
promise to test within 30 days
• Permit for promise to test, but
honor system for slaughter bulls
• 30 day test validity
• 30 day virgin certificate
(24mo or 30 with vet cosign)
Jan 1, 2010

8. Infected Bull?
Jan 1, 2010
• Reportable Disease
• Bulls only quarantined
• Positive bulls to slaughter
• 2 Negative tests to release
• No pooled samples
• Neighbors not notified

9. Interstate Entry
Jan 1, 2010
• 30 day test
• 24 mo virgins
• PCR or 3 cultures
• Exhibition animals
exempt for 60 days

10. All Breeding Bulls
from Canada or
Mexico
Bulls entering shall:
Move under entry permit
Remain under hold order
at designated premises,
away from female cattle,
until tested negative
Be officially identified
when testing sample
is collected

11. Working Group meets Annually
• Reports from
• TAHC
• TVMDL lab
• Sale barns
• Cattle organizations
• Veterinarians
• Issues brought for discussion by all partners
• Industry driven focus breaks a tie
• Possible changes in Policy or Rule discussed

12. Texas Trich Program Evolution
May 2010
• 60 day test validity
• 60 day virgin validity
• Trich Certified Feedlots(bulls permitted in/out) I
• Trich epidemiological investigations I
• Neighbors notified but not required to test I
• Allow “cutter” bulls to move to feedlot for
castration there I
• Exempted bison but not miniatures or exotics

13. Working Group meets Annually
• Reports from
• TAHC
• TVMDL lab
• Sale barns
• Cattle organizations
• Veterinarians
• Issues brought for discussion by all partners
• Industry driven focus breaks a tie
• Possible changes in Policy or Rule discussed

14. Texas Trich Program Evolution
May 2011
• No more interstate virgins - over 12
test, under 12 not test
• Out of state untested bulls can go to
feedlots I
• Created “incapable of breeding”
definition rather than “sterile” for
exemptions from test or slaughter

15. Texas Trich Program Evolution
2011(p2)
• Policy that “research” can only be
performed in controlled settings
• “Panel of Experts” Advisory group for
research or odd requests
• Infected bulls can be sold at markets and
moved under permit to slaughter I
• Created Certified Free Herd concept I

16. Texas Trich Program Evolution
2011(p3)
• Maximum time for retest of bulls in infected
herds – 60 days
• Accept pooled samples for 1 of 2 quarantine
release tests – not change of ownership
• Discrepant PCR tests - go best 2out of 3
• Control herd plan for large ranches – have 3
years to manage problem – test 1x per year,
all bulls go to slaughter, manage cows w/vet I

17. Working Group meets Annually
• Reports from
• TAHC
• TVMDL lab
• Sale barns
• Cattle organizations
• Veterinarians
• Issues brought for discussion by all partners
• Industry driven focus breaks a tie
• Possible changes in Policy or Rule discussed

18. Texas Trich Program Evolution
2012
• Allowed pool samples for change of ownership
• Allowed pool samples for both quarantine tests
• Changed submission times for shipping from 96 to
120 hours to accommodate Monday holidays – if
samples incubated at vet clinic
• Untested bulls at feedlots can come out & be tested I
• Culture positive cows will quarantine herd

19. Working Group meets Annually
• Reports from
• TAHC
• TVMDL lab
• Sale barns
• Cattle organizations
• Veterinarians
• Issues brought for discussion by all partners
• Industry driven focus breaks a tie
• Possible changes in Policy or Rule discussed

20. Texas Trich Program Evolution
2013
• Allow buyer of untested bulls 7 days to decide
what to do with bull – test, kill, feed or resell III
• Allowed bulls >12 mo to come home from bull
station trials or CSS semen facilities without test
• Allowed out of state reactor bulls to sell at Texas
market under permit I
• Commuter herd plans implemented

21. Working Group meets Annually
• Reports from
• TAHC
• TVMDL lab
• Sale barns
• Cattle organizations
• Veterinarians
• Issues brought for discussion by all partners
• Industry driven focus breaks a tie
• Possible changes in Policy or Rule discussed

22. Texas Trich Program Evolution
2014
• Discussion topics
• More aggressive tracing (bulls sold w/in 30 days
will be tested?) I
• Sold and tested by someone else (yes?)
• Strays caught and tested by non-owner (no?)
• Test fenceline adjacents (no?)
• Require adequate fencing in cert. free herds (yes?)

23. Texas Trich Program Evolution
2014(p2)
• Discussion topics (cont)
• No age limit for virgin status (no?)
• Trich tubes vs. N-pouches (no?)
• Accept bulls from certified free herds in other
states (yes?)
• Allow out of state bulls to enter Texas bull
station without test (yes?)

24. Texas Trich Program Evolution
2014(p3)
• Discussion topics (cont)
• Interstate movement Harmonization Discussion
• Pooled samples – in place
• 60 day test validity – in place
• PCR or 3 cultures – PCR only – change?
• Virgin age – 18/24 mo – 12 mo – change?

25. Texas Trich Program Evolution
2014(p3)
• Female cattle - (no?)

26. Change of
ownership
• Untested bulls have 7 days to go;
• to slaughter
• Resell through a market (permit)
• Be tested/promise to test (permit)
• Approved feedlot (permit)
• 60 day test validity
• 60 day virgin certificate
Jan 1, 2010

27. Interstate Entry
Jan 1, 2010
• PCR only
• 60 day test
• No test<12mo>test
• Exhibition animals
exempt for 60 days

28. • Industry support
• Adequate animal
health infrastructure
present at;
1. Markets
2. Feedlots
3. Special sales
4. Roadstops
Texas Trich Program Success

29. Texas Trichomoniasis Program
•Has helped
• Cattle industry marketablity
& profitability
•TAHC maintain adequate
work force for all disease
programs
• Strengthen working
relationship/trust between
regulatory agency & livestock
market & cattle industries
•Vet practice clinic revenue

30. What is next Trich issue?

31. Produced by the
Texas Animal Health
Commission
“Because livestock & poultry health matters”
www.tahc.state.tx.us
800-550-8242
www.tahc.state.tx.us
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