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Potential of Differential Somatic Cell Counts as Indicators of Mastitis in Quarter Milk Samples from Dairy Cows

Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica volume 30, pages 475–481 (1989)Cite this article

Abstract

Bacteriological status, somatic cell counts and proportions of lymphocytes, granulocytes and monocytes were determined in 1,659 quarter milk samples from 39 dairy cows. Discriminant analysis was performed in order to assess the ability of total and differential somatic cell counts and combinations of total somatic cell count and each of the differential cell counts, to discriminate between infected and pathogen-free quarters, as well as between quarters infected with minor pathogens and quarters infected with major pathogens. Total somatic cell count classified 82.9% of all quarters correctly with respect to bacteriological status. Differential somatic cell count was less effective than total somatic cell count in discriminating between infected and pathogen-free quarters, as well as between quarters infected with minor vs. major pathogens. Combination of total and differential somatic cell counts did not improve the rate of correctly classified quarters. Inclusion of demographic data into the discriminant function increased the number of quarters correctly classified, mainly through an increase in the proportion of correctly classified infected quarters.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Swedish Association for Livestock Breeding and Production, S-631 84, Eskilstuna, Sweden

    Ulf Emanuelson & Paul Wever

  2. Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden

    Ulf Emanuelson & Paul Wever

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  1. Ulf Emanuelson
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  2. Paul Wever
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Emanuelson, U., Wever, P. Potential of Differential Somatic Cell Counts as Indicators of Mastitis in Quarter Milk Samples from Dairy Cows. Acta Vet Scand 30, 475–481 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1186/BF03548025

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Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica

ISSN: 1751-0147