The work was prompted by the results from a survey for the disease led by Professor Michael McGowan from UQ's School of Veterinary Science, revealing that bulls at abattoirs from all of Australia's major beef breeding regions, and more than one in 10 bulls in northern regions, were infected.
"Bovine trichomoniasis is caused by a protozoa carried by bulls and is transmitted to females during mating," Professor Tabor said.
"This can make cows infertile or cause them to abort."
QAAFI Senior Research Fellow Dr. Kieren McCosker helped collect samples from bulls' reproductive tracts.
These samples were then cleaned and analyzed.
"If a successful vaccine is developed out of this, it could be an important development," Dr. McCosker said.
"In North Australian beef herds, losses from confirmed pregnancy to weaning are typically in the order of 5% to 15% and are estimated to cost the industry between $60 and $100 million a year.
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