Is there threat to human health from Tritrichomonas foetus?
Tritrichomonas foetus infections have not been documented in humans, nor are there any known risks to humans for contracting this disease from cattle. T. foetus is a venereal disease of cattle; it has not been documented as a cause of venereal disease in other species. This protozoa has not been found to cross mucosal barriers from genital organs into the blood or meat of infected animals. However, trichomonads have been discovered in other species. A trichomonad closely related to T. foetus was identified in a bronchoalveolar lavage sample from a patient with AIDS in association with Pneumocystis pneumonia. Additionally, there is a single report of a man being treated with subarachnoid (space around brain) anti-cancer drugs that were somehow contaminated with T. foetus; this patient subsequently died of protozoal myelitis. T. foetus has also been identified as a cause of diarrhea in cats. These findings have brought into question previously held beliefs that trichomonads are species s
