title: Pooled polymerase chain reaction to detect Tritrichomonas foetus in beef bulls.
abstract: Preputial scraping samples from 305 mixed breed beef bulls were examined for the detection of Tritrichomonas foetus infection. All samples were collected by veterinarians and transported in commercial media to an accredited lab. Upon arrival samples underwent microscopic examination for the presence of Tritrichomonas foetus and were then incubated until 5 days postcollection before final microscopic examination. Culture detected 14 samples with Trichomonad spp.; all were confirmed to be Tritrichomonas foetus by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). After final examination samples were randomly placed in groups of 5 samples; technicians were blinded as to culture results of the individual samples constituting each pool. From each sample within a group, a portion of the fluid sediment was removed and pooled with the other samples of the group to form 61 pools. From each of the formed pools an aliquot was removed for PCR. PCR detected 16 positive pools; an additional 2 positive samples were then identified on individual PCR on samples previously diagnosed as culture negative. Relative to culture, the 95% confidence intervals for sensitivity and specificity of PCR pools to detect Tritrichomonas foetus were 76.8% to 100% (mean value: 100%) and 85.5 to 99.5% (mean value: 93.4%), respectively.
authors.affiliation: Colorado State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, Rocky Ford Branch, 27847 Road 21, Rocky Ford, CO 81067, USA. James.Kennedy@colostate.edu
authors.forename: James A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Kennedy
authors.forename: Dayla
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pearl
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tomky
authors.forename: Jane
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Carman
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000469:parasitology*; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary*; D011528:Protozoan Infections / Q000469:parasitology; D011529:Protozoan Infections, Animal; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D016835:Tritrichomonas foetus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*
chemical_list: D016054:DNA, Protozoan