Development of a lateral flow assay- based rapid diagnostic kit for screening Bovine Trichomonosis in cattle.

The increasing demand for animal products highlights the need to prioritize the reproductive health of cattle. Bovine Trichomonosis, an underexplored disease, causes severe reproductive failures in cattle. At present, early diagnosis and the quarantine of infected animals remain the primary strategies for disease control. Several reports of Trichomonas foetus spillover resulting in cases of Pneumocystis pneumonia, meningoencephalitis, peritonitis, and cholecystitis in immunocompromised individuals suggest a potential risk of zoonotic transmission. Consequently, there is an urgent need for Simple, affordable and rapid diagnostic tools to support the dairy farming community and to mitigate the risk of zoonotic spread zoonotic transmission. Addressing this need, the present study aimed at developing a rapid Lateral Flow Assay (LFA) utilizing recombinant Cysteine Protease8 antigen for the detection of T. foetus-specific antibodies in infected hosts. The prototype LFA exhibited diagnostic performance comparable to that of iELISA and RT -PCR, with a sensitivity of 89.4 %, specificity of 100 %, and an overall accuracy of 97.8 %. These results are consistent with those reported for LFA kits targeting other sexually transmitted infections in cattle developed world wide. Due to its high sensitivity and ease of application, the prototype LFA is well-suited for on-site use by farmers and for routine herd-level surveillance of Bovine Trichomonosis. To the best of our knowledge, this represents the first Point-of-Care prototype LFA kit developed globally for the specific detection of Bovine Trichomonosis.