Relationship between Somatic Cell Count and Bovine Subclinical Mastitis in Raw Milk in Egypt

Abstract

A total of 150 raw milk samples (75 each from Holstein Friesian cows and 75 buffaloes)from Egyptian farms were collected and transferredto the Laboratory to estimate Somatic Cell Count and bacteriological examination for diagnosis of subclinical mastitis. Prevalence of S.aureus, Staphyloccocus spp., Streptococcus agalactiae and Streptococcus spp. in cow milk samples were 60.0%,34.7%,17.3% and 54.7% respectively; the prevalence of the corresponding bacterial species in buffaloes were 48.0%, 32.0%,10.7% and 50.7% , respectively. On the other hand, prevalence of E.coli, Klebsiella, Proteus, Morganella, Providencia and Citrobacter in were18.7%,45.3%,73.3%,24.0%,30.7% and 1.4% in cows milk samples, and 14.7%, 70.7%, 76.0%, 49.5% , 56.0% and 2.6%in buffaloes milk, respectively. Milk samples contained SCC lower than 200 000 SCC/ml were mostly culture negative. Samples having 200 000- 500000 of SCC/ml were mainly infected with Enterobactericeae spp. Samples with high SCC (500 000 to 1000 000/ml) was associated with infections caused by most studied bacteria especially S.aureus (54.3%), whereas samples with very high SCC (≥1000 000) /ml) was associated with infections caused by Staphylococcus spp (62.0%), Streptococcus agalactiae(73.0%), S.aureus(43.2%), Streptococcus spp(53.1%), E.coli(43.0%), Klebsiella(45.9%), Proteus(40.9%), Morganella (56.4%), Providencia(47.7%) and Citrobacter (66.7%). The present study concluded that most of milk samples analyzed contained high bacterial and SCC , therefore attention should be directed towards the health status of the bovine udder and the appropriate measures to minimize the incidence of mastitis .