A QUANTITATIVE COW-SIDE SOMATIC CELL COUNT TEST WITH A PORTABLE REFLECTOMETER

摘要

Somatic cell count (SCC) in milk has become the universal means of screening and monitoring mastitis. Bulk tank milk somatic cell counts are a measure of the prevalence of mastitis in a dairy herd (Harmon). The only cow-side test available for estimating SCC is the California Mastitis Test (CMT). However, previous research has shown that CMT is not particularly sensitive or accurate (Dingwell and Poutrel). More recently, a semi-quantitative cow-side test (PortaSCC ) was evaluated using approximately600 quarter and composite samples. The test was found to be easy-to-use and had a high predictive value as a negative test, making it useful for on-farm decision-making (Barratt). The objective of this study was to demonstrate the feasibility of obtaining quantitative SCC measurements using the PortaScience SCC test strips (PortaSCC~(TM) and a simple reflectometer.