Factors Affecting the Relationship Between Electronic and Microscopic Cell Counts in Bovine Milk

Abstract

Four hundred and seventy samples of milk were examined to determine the influence of filtration, agitation, cooling, and storage on the relationship of the microscopic to the electronic count, and on the concentration of the somatic cells. Counts ranged from 73,000 to five million per milliliter. Neither the somatic cell concentration nor the regression of microscopic on electronic cell counts was significantly influenced by the aforementioned factors. Variation in the regression of microscopic on electronic cell counts was due to differences in the somatic cell concentration of the sample. The regression coefficient in 388 samples with mean cells greater than 300,000 per milliliter was 1.45 and 0.98 in 82 samples with lower cell counts.