Abstract
Four subclinical mastitis diagnostic tests (the UdderCheck® test [a lactate dehydrogenase-based test], the California Mastitis Test [CMT], the Draminski® test [a conductivity-based test] and the PortaSCC® test [a portable somatic cell count-based test]) were compared in a study comprising crossbreed dairy cows (n = 30) during September and October 2015. Sensitivity and specificity of the CMT, Draminski® and UdderCheck® tests were compared with the PortaSCC® as reference. The CMT, Draminski® and UdderCheck® test results were compared with the results of the PortaSCC® test using kappa statistics. Duplicate quarter milk samples (n = 120) were concurrently subjected to the four tests. Sensitivity and specificity were 88.46% and 86.17% (CMT), 78.5% and 81.4% (Draminski®) and 64.00% and 78.95% (UdderCheck®). The CMT showed substantial agreement (k = 0.66), the Draminski® test showed moderate agreement (k = 0.48) and the UdderCheck® test showed fair agreement (k = 0.37) with the PortaSCC® test and positive likelihood ratios were 6.40, 4.15 and 3.04, respectively. The cow-level subclinical mastitis prevalence was 70%, 60%, 60% and 56.7% for PortaSCC®, CMT, Draminski® and UdderCheck® tests, respectively. At udder quarter level, subclinical mastitis prevalence was 20%, 21.67% and 20.83% for PortaSCC®, CMT and UdderCheck®, respectively. A correlation (P < 0.05) and moderate strength of association were found between the four tests used. The study showed that compared to the PortaSCC® test, the CMT was the most preferable option, followed by the Draminski® test, while the UdderCheck® test was the least preferable option for subclinical mastitis screening.
Highlights
Mastitis is a complex and multifactorial disease characterised by inflammation of the milk producing parenchyma of the udder and is regarded as the most expensive disease of dairy animals (Bogni et al 2011; Sudhan & Sharma 2010)
The prevalence of subclinical mastitis detected by the California Mastitis Test (CMT) and UdderCheck® tests showed significant, moderately strong associations with that from the PortaSCC® test (Table 4), while the Draminski® test had significant, moderate strength of association with the CMT and UdderCheck® tests (Table 5)
Our study showed that the CMT was the most preferable option after the PortaSCC® test followed by the Draminski® test
Summary
Mastitis is a complex and multifactorial disease characterised by inflammation of the milk producing parenchyma of the udder and is regarded as the most expensive disease of dairy animals (Bogni et al 2011; Sudhan & Sharma 2010). Subclinical mastitis is the inflammation of the mammary gland that does not create visible changes in the milk or of the udder (Langer et al 2014). Subclinical mastitis can lead to a 10% – 20% decrease in milk production. It has an undesirable effect on the constituents and nutritional value of the milk, rendering it of low quality and less fit for processing (Fernando, Spahr & Jaster 1985; Iraguha, Hamudikuwanda & Mushonga 2015). As there are no visible abnormalities in the milk, subclinical mastitis requires special diagnostic tests for detection (Bogni et al 2011; Salvador et al 2014). The importance of early detection of mastitis, and in particular subclinical mastitis, is critical (Chagunda et al 2006)
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