Molecular Identification and Survey of Tetratrichomonas buttreyi and Pentatrichomonas hominis in Cattle in Shanxi Province, North China

Several trichomonad species have already been reported from cattle, including <i>Tetratrichomonas buttreyi</i> and <i>Pentatrichomonas hominis</i>. However, there is currently a lack of information concerning the prevalence of trichomonad species in cattle in Shanxi Province, North China. In this study, 761 fecal samples from cattle across three counties in Shanxi Province, namely Qi, Jishan, and Shanyin, were examined for the presence of <i>T. buttreyi</i> and <i>P. hominis</i> DNA through a nested PCR assay targeting a specific segment of the small subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU rRNA) gene. The results showed that the total prevalence of <i>T. buttreyi</i> in cattle was found to be 74.5%, with region and sex identified as risk factors for infection. <i>P. hominis</i> exhibited an overall prevalence of 3.0%, with strong associations observed between infection and both region and age. Sequencing analysis indicated that some <i>T. buttreyi</i> isolates and all <i>P. hominis</i> isolates were identical to those reported previously based on the analysis of SSU rRNA sequences, while certain <i>T. buttreyi</i> isolates exhibited minor allelic variations. These results enhance our understanding of the geographical distribution and genetic characterization of <i>T. buttreyi</i> and <i>P. hominis</i> in cattle.