By CATHERINE TSAI
Associated Press
DENVER (AP) — The spread of a venereal disease that can cause cows to lose their calves appears to be slowing in Colorado, and state agriculture officials plan to strengthen policies to keep it that way.
Trichomoniasis (trik-oh-moh-NIE-ah-sis), or "trich," is of particular concern in the West, where grazing associations and permits for grazing on public land allow cattle to co-mingle.
Dozens of Colorado producers were hit with trich last year. Some 43 cattle facilities in 18 counties were quarantined so infected bulls wouldn't spread the sexually transmitted disease.
So far this year, 13 facilities in eight counties have been quarantined, according to the Colorado Department of Agriculture. Four counties had quarantines as of July 30.
"We are doing better," said state veterinarian Keith Roehr, citing the quarantines, better education about trich among producers and more testing this year. "There's a lot of awareness on the part of producers that, in the end, will be beneficial to the cattle industry in Colorado."
Colorado ranked fifth among U.S. cattle-producing states with $3.1 billion in sales of cattle and calves in 2007, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
No vaccines are available to prevent the disease, but using artificial insemination and virgin bulls helps control its spread. Bulls are the main carriers of trichomoniasis and, once infected, remain infected for life, although they show no signs of disease.
The disease isn't harmful to humans who eat infected cattle. But for cattle ranchers who depend on their cows for calves, the disease can be devastating.
Research by Colorado State University suggests the disease can cost a ranch an average of $143 per cow in a 300-cow herd, or nearly $43,000. While cows can clear the infection after a few months, bulls remain infected.
Trich testing generally costs $1.25 to $5.50 per animal, Roehr said.
"It's a disease that has too much potential for risk not to consider routine testing programs," he said.
The spread of disease in Colorado was blamed on what Roehr called a "perfect storm" of drought, blizzards and low levels of testing.
Years of drought forced some ranchers to move their herds out of state, where cattle may have become infected. When the cattle returned, blizzards that buried and knocked down fences allowed infected herds to mix with healthy ones. Without high levels of testing, the disease spread, particularly in southeast Colorado.
Texas, the nation's largest cattle producing state, adopted trich prevention regulations April 1. At least 15 other states in the West, including Colorado, New Mexico and South Dakota, have their own programs.
After consulting the livestock industry, universities and rules in other states, Colorado agriculture officials are changing policies, including notifying veterinarians as soon as possible in areas where trich is present and tagging cows from infected herds before they get to a livestock auction, Roehr said.
Colorado once accepted affidavits from other states identifying virgin bulls. It now wants those animals to undergo testing, too.
Colorado requires trich testing when non-virgin bulls enter the state or change owners, unless they immediately head to slaughter. Bulls included in public land grazing permits or grazing associations also must be tested.
Colorado also requires bulls to be isolated from cows a week before the test. Officials want to boost that period to 30 days.
The key, though, is educating producers.
"Rules alone are not the total answer to controlling this disease," Roehr said.
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