Herd characteristics and management practices associated with bulk-tank somatic cell counts in herds in official Dairy Herd Improvement Association programs in Ohio

Mastitis constitutes a major source of economic loss in the national dairy herd. Although good management practices can produce a major reduction in mastitis, there is considerable interest in the reduction of mastitis through breeding. Somatic cell counts (SCC) have been used as a way of indirectly measuring sub-clinical mastitis within a herd. Since 1991, average cell count is obtained for all herds and this is used to adjust milk payments.Milk recording organisations introduced a cow cell count service in 1990. The data are now available for the preliminary analysis of the usefulness of somatic cell counts. The objective of this study was to estimate genetic parameters for SCC for three major breeds in the UK.

Download Full-text

Influence of milking method, disinfection and herd management practices on bulk tank milk somatic cell counts in tropical dairy herds in Colombia

The Veterinary Journal ◽

10.1016/j.tvjl.2016.12.011 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 220 ◽

pp. 34-39 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

J. Reyes ◽

J. Sanchez ◽

H. Stryhn ◽

T. Ortiz ◽

M. Olivera ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Somatic Cell ◽

Management Practices ◽

Dairy Herds ◽

Bulk Tank Milk ◽

Herd Management ◽

Somatic Cell Counts ◽

Cell Counts ◽

Bulk Tank

Download Full-text

Extensive Countrywide Field Investigation of Somatic Cell Counts and Total Bacterial Counts in Bulk-Tank Raw Milk in Sheep Flocks in Greece

Foods ◽

10.3390/foods10020268 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (2) ◽

pp. 268

Author(s):

Daphne T. Lianou ◽

Charalambia K. Michael ◽

Natalia G. C. Vasileiou ◽

Efthymia Petinaki ◽

Peter J. Cripps ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Somatic Cell ◽

Geometric Mean ◽

Cell Counting ◽

Lactation Period ◽

Mechanical Ventilators ◽

Bulk Tank Milk ◽

Bacterial Counts ◽

Somatic Cell Counts ◽

Cell Counts ◽

Bulk Tank

Objectives were to investigate somatic cell counts (SCC) and total bacterial counts (TBC) in the raw bulk-tank milk of sheep flocks in Greece, to study factors potentially influencing increased SCC and TBC in the bulk-tank milk of sheep and to evaluate possible associations of SCC and TBC with milk content. Throughout Greece, 325 dairy sheep flocks were visited for collection of milk sampling for somatic cell counting, microbiological examination and composition measurement. Geometric mean SCC were 0.488 × 106 cells mL−1; geometric mean TBC were 398 × 103 cfu mL−1; 228 staphylococcal isolates were recovered form 206 flocks (63.4%). Multivariable analyses revealed annual incidence risk of clinical mastitis, age of the farmer and month into lactation period (among 53 variables) to be significant for SCC > 1.0 × 106 cells mL−1 and month into lactation period at sampling and availability of mechanical ventilators (among 58 variables) to be significant for TBC > 1500 × 103 cfu mL−1. Negative correlation of SCC with fat, total protein and lactose and positive correlation of SCC with added water were found. With SCC > 1.0 × 106 cells mL−1, significant reduction of protein content (2%) was observed, whilst in flocks with SCC > 1.5 × 106 cells mL−1, significantly lower annual milk production per ewe (42.9%) was recorded.

Download Full-text

Rapid Detection of Mycoplasma bovis, Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus agalactiae in Cattle Bulk Tank Milk in Cyprus and Relations with Somatic Cell Counts

Pathogens ◽

10.3390/pathogens10070841 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (7) ◽

pp. 841

Author(s):

Maria Liapi ◽

George Botsaris ◽

Costas Arsenoglou ◽

Nikolas Markantonis ◽

Christodoulos Michael ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Staphylococcus Aureus ◽

Somatic Cell ◽

Real Time ◽

Streptococcus Agalactiae ◽

Mycoplasma Bovis ◽

Bulk Tank Milk ◽

Somatic Cell Counts ◽

Milk Samples ◽

Cell Counts ◽

Bulk Tank

One hundred and seventy-seven (177) bulk tank milk samples were analyzed with a commercially available real-time polymerase chain reaction kit and 11 (6.21%), 41 (23.16%), and 58 (32.77%) tested positive for Mycoplasma bovis, Staphylococcus aureus, and Streptococcus agalactiae, respectively. Statistical analysis revealed a significant relationship between the presence of S. aureus and S. agalactiae. Enumeration of somatic cells was performed in the same samples by flow cytometry. The somatic cell counts were found higher in S. aureus and S. agalactiae positive samples. No association was found between M. bovis presence and somatic cells counts. Low internal assay control Ct values were found to be related with high somatic cell counts. Noticeably, this is the first report for the presence of M. bovis in Cyprus. Therefore, its presence was confirmed by bulk tank milk culture, conventional PCR, and next generation sequencing. Furthermore, M. bovis was typed with multilocus sequencing typing and was allocated to sequence type 29 (ST 29). Real-time PCR in bulk tank milk samples is a useful tool to detect mammary infections, especially for neglected pathogens such as M. bovis.

Download Full-text

Effects of season, milking routine and cow cleanliness on bacterial and somatic cell counts of bulk tank milk

Journal of Dairy Research ◽

10.1017/s0022029911000598 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 78 (4) ◽

pp. 436-441 ◽

Cited By ~ 27

Author(s):

Maddalena Zucali ◽

Luciana Bava ◽

Alberto Tamburini ◽

Milena Brasca ◽

Laura Vanoni ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Somatic Cell ◽

Cell Count ◽

Somatic Cell Count ◽

Bacterial Count ◽

Cold Season ◽

Plate Count ◽

Bulk Tank Milk ◽

Somatic Cell Counts ◽

Cell Counts ◽

Bulk Tank

The aim of the study was to investigate the effects of season, cow cleanliness and milking routine on bacterial and somatic cell counts of bulk tank milk. A total of 22 dairy farms in Lombardy (Italy) were visited three times in a year in different seasons. During each visit, samples of bulk tank milk were taken for bacterial and somatic cell counts; swabs from the teat surface of a group of cows were collected after teat cleaning and before milking. Cow cleanliness was assessed by scoring udder, flanks and legs of all milking cows using a 4-point scale system. Season affected cow cleanliness with a significantly higher percentage of non-clean (NC) cows during Cold compared with Mild season. Standard plate count (SPC), laboratory pasteurization count (LPC), coliform count (CC) and somatic cell count, expressed as linear score (LS), in milk significantly increased in Hot compared with Cold season. Coagulase-positive staphylococci on teat swabs showed higher counts in Cold season in comparison with the other ones. The effect of cow cleanliness was significant for SPC, psychrotrophic bacterial count (PBC), CC and Escherichia coli in bulk tank milk. Somatic cell count showed a relationship with udder hygiene score. Milking operation routine strongly affected bacterial counts and LS of bulk tank milk: farms that accomplished a comprehensive milking scheme including two or more operations among forestripping, pre-dipping and post-dipping had lower teat contamination and lower milk SPC, PBC, LPC, CC and LS than farms that did not carry out any operation.

Download Full-text