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SALT LAKE CITY — Agriculture officials are working to stem a potential outbreak of a cattle venereal disease after several bulls in Box Elder County tested positive for trichomoniasis, the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food said Thursday.
The state veterinarian's office identified several cases of trichomoniasis, also known as trich, from a herd that had grazed last summer at a grazing association in southern Idaho with several other herds, including at least six herds from Utah, the agency said in a news release.
Ten cattle herds had potential exposure to the disease caused by a microscopic parasite, which spreads during breeding, officials said. Five of the herds belong to the grazing association, and five herds neighbor the properties with cases.
The Utah Department of Agriculture and Food is quarantining affected animals and "will place the herds with positive tests on a plan to stop the spread of the disease," the release states.
"It is concerning to have this large of an outbreak of trich in Utah cattle herds," said Dean Taylor, Utah state veterinarian, in the statement. "Our office is working closely with local veterinarians to conduct testing and are taking measures to stop the spread of this disease."
According to the agriculture department, cows with trich usually abort fetuses conceived during the breeding and then clear the infection, but bulls remain infected with the disease for life. It cannot be treated and officials said it can be "economically devastating" to herds as it means bulls with the disease need to be killed; it reduces calf crop due to the increased abortion rate, and other issues.
Utah requires yearly testing of all bulls for trich, except for confined dairy cattle and bison bulls.
"Animals from one positive herd moved into the grazing association in 2021 without proper paperwork. It is also suspected that bulls from this herd were leased to other ranches for breeding purposes," officials said.
Those who leased a bull from the Box Elder County area and are concerned this could affect their herd are encouraged to contact the state veterinarian's office by emailing statevet@utah.gov.
