What are the economic costs of trichomonosis in California?
True economic costs of trichomonosis are difficult to quantify. One study out of UC Davis estimated that combinations of risk factors contributed to a loss of income up to 22% (Villarroel A, Carpenter TE, BonDurant RH; Development of a simulation model to evaluate the effect of vaccination against Tritrichomonas foetus on reproductive efficiency in beef herds; Am J Vet Res 2004; 65(6): 770–775). This study found shared grazing to be the most significant risk factor for a decrease in calving incidence attributable to T. foetus infection. Additional risk factors included bulls not being tested negative for T. foetus prior to breeding and herds containing a higher proportion of older bulls (bulls »3 years of age). Another disease model predicted, “a reduction of 14 to 50% in annual calf crop, a prolonged breeding season, a reduction of 5 to 12% in the suckling / growing period, a reduction of 4 to 10% in pounds of marketable calf crop at weaning, a reduction of 4 to 10% in monetary return
