Study supports saline for Tritrichomonas foetus RT-rtPCR transport

A newly published noninferiority study in the Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation found that 0.9% sterile saline performed comparably to phosphate-buffered saline, or PBS, as a transport medium for Tritrichomonas foetus direct RT-rtPCR testing in bovine preputial wash samples. In the study, researchers tested samples spiked at high, moderate, and low organism concentrations and found no significant difference in cycle threshold values between saline and PBS; saline met the study’s predefined noninferiority margin. The practical shift is straightforward: a transport medium that’s already common in field practice may be a workable alternative to PBS for this assay. (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)

Why it matters: For veterinarians and diagnostic labs, the finding supports a simpler collection workflow for bovine trichomoniasis PCR testing, especially in ambulatory and rural settings where PBS may not be routinely stocked. That matters because T. foetus infection can drive reproductive loss in cow-calf herds, and false negatives tied to sample handling remain a real concern. The study also lands as more laboratories and state programs have already begun accepting saline alongside PBS for direct PCR submissions, suggesting the paper reinforces an operational change that’s underway in the field. (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)

What to watch: Watch for whether more state-regulated trichomoniasis programs and diagnostic labs formally update submission guidance to list saline as an equivalent option for direct RT-rtPCR collection, not just an accepted alternative. (agri.nv.gov)