Trichomoniasis (Trich) is a highly-contagious venereal disease in cattle carried by a bull and transmitted to a cow during breeding. It causes pregnancy loss or abortion in the cow, prolonged calving intervals and high open rates in infected herds, which costs livestock owners valuable income.

A map of positive Kansas counties by year can be found here.

Effective May 2016, the Kansas Division of Animal health published a final regulation regarding Trich in cattle. This ruling addresses the change of ownership of bulls within Kansas and import requirements for bulls, cows and heifers.

Bulls

Bulls that change ownership or possession within Kansas must meet one of the following criteria:

• Non-virgin bulls or bulls greater than 18 months of age must either:
  
  • Be tested for Trichomoniasis by a Trich-certified veterinarian and certifiednegative within 60 days prior to change of ownership or possession, with nosubsequent exposure to female cattle, OR
  • Be sold for slaughter only, or sold for feeding for slaughter purposes.
• Virgin bulls 18 months of age or younger may change ownership or possession without a negative trich test if the owner signs the Kansas Bull Status Affidavit verifying the bulls have not been sexually exposed to breeding-aged females.
• Virgin bulls 24 months of age or younger that originate from a herd with a herd management plan approved by the animal health commissioner shall not be required to be tested for Trich and certified negative prior to changing possession or ownership.

Cows and Heifers

Cows and heifers moving into Kansas must meet one of the following criteria or move into an approved Kansas livestock market and then meet one of the following criteria:

• Move for slaughter or feeding purposes only with no bull exposure after entering Kansas
• Have a calf at side and no exposure since parturition to bulls other than certified negative Tritrichomonas foetus bulls
• Are at least 120 days pregnant
• Are virgin heifers with no sexual exposure to bulls since weaning
• Have had at least 120 days of sexual isolation
• Are heifers or cows exposed only to certified negative Tritrichomonas foetus bulls
• Are moving for embryo transfer or other artificial reproduction procedure with no exposure to bulls after entering Kansas

View full updated Trich regulations.

Trichomoniasis Female Import Affidavit

A cattle owner may use this form to verify cows or heifers imported into Kansas meet one of seven requirements.

• Female Import Affidavit

Trichomoniasis Herd Management Plan
A cattle owner may use this form to develop and implement a Trichomoniasis herd management plan to exempt from testing requirements bulls 24 months of age or younger.

• Bull Import Affidavit

Resources

• Trich Regulation K.A.R. 9-7-4a
• Trich Factsheet
• Trich Bull Affidavit
• Trich Female Affidavit
• Trich Herd Plan Updated 2023
• Trich Flier for Kansas Livestock

Veterinarians

Veterinarians seeking to become Trich certified should visit the Kansas State Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory Trich Certification course link at: Online Tritrichomonas Veterinarian Certification

Exporting from Kansas

Please see the destination state's import requirements. A contact list for all U.S. states and territories can be found on the USDA Import and Export Regulations webpage.