Venereal diseases of cattle: Natural history, diagnosis, and the role of vaccines in their control

With the large majority of beef cattle and increasing numbers of dairy cattle in North America bred by natural service, venereal disease is still prevalent. Several agents can be transmitted by coitus, but the classical two are still Campylobacter fetus venerealis and Tritrichomonas foetus. Their epidemiology is essentially identical, and indeed much of the pathophysiology is very similar, so the two should be considered simultaneously in most diagnostic situations. In this article, means of diagnosis, treatment (where appropriate), and prevention are discussed at both the individual and herd level. A brief mention is made of other potential venereal agents, including Haemophilus somnus, Ureaplasm diversum, and Leptospira borgpetersenii.