Abstract
Combining total and differential somatic cell count to screen for mastitis
Highlights
Over the last decades, somatic cell count (SCC) has been measured in routine milk recording systems in many countries and has been extensively used for monitoring udder health and improving milk quality at herd and individual cow levels (Schukken et al, 2003; Ruegg & Pantoja, 2013)
Not all milk samples collected in the framework of the routine milk-recording procedures in Veneto Region could be analysed for differential somatic cell count (DSCC) using the new Combifoss 7 DC
This explain why, data were recorded over a 1-year period, the average number of test-days per cow with DSCC measurements was quite low: 1.95 ± 1.03 for Holstein Friesian, 1.98 ± 1.04 for Brown Swiss and 2.08 ± 1.12 for Simmental (Table 1)
Summary
Somatic cell count (SCC) has been measured in routine milk recording systems in many countries and has been extensively used for monitoring udder health and improving milk quality at herd and individual cow levels (Schukken et al, 2003; Ruegg & Pantoja, 2013). Milk somatic cells are mainly leukocytes, i.e. polymorphonuclear neutrophils, macrophages and lymphocytes. These three cell types play different roles in the immune response to mastitis and their proportion in milk varies according to the infection status of the mammary gland. Macrophages are the predominant cell type in uninfected udders with low SCC (Lee et al, 1980; Schwarz et al, 2011), whereas high proportions of macrophages in milk with elevated SCC could indicate udders affected by chronic mastitis (Leitner et al, 2008). Neutrophils, which play a defense role against invading pathogens, can increase up to 95% of total SCC (Kehrli & Shuster, 1994). In the early stages of infection, neutrophils increase even faster than total SCC (Schwarz et al, 2011; Pilla et al, 2012)
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