HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Interpretive Summary Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Moroni, P. Articles by Boettcher, P. J. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Moroni, P. Articles by Boettcher, P. J.

Relationships Between Somatic Cell Count and Intramammary Infection in Buffaloes

P. Moroni^*,1, C. Sgoifo Rossi, G. Pisoni^*, V. Bronzo^*, B. Castiglioni and P. J. Boettcher^,2

^* Department of Animal Pathology, Hygiene and Veterinary Public Health, and
Department of Veterinary Sciences and Technologies for Food Safety, University of Milan, via Celoria 10, 20133 Milan, Italy
Institute of Agricultural Biology and Biotechnology, National Research Council, Milan Palazzo LITA, Milan, Italy

¹ Corresponding author: paolo.moroni{at}unimi.it

The objectives of this study were to evaluate the presence of intramammary infections (IMI) in dairy buffaloes and to examine the relationships among IMI, somatic cell counts (SCC), and milk production traits. Two farms in northern Italy were visited monthly for a complete milking season. Quarter-based milk samples were collected at each visit from 46 buffaloes. A total of 1,912 samples were assessed in this experiment. Samples were cultured for bacterial presence and were tested for SCC and percentages of milk protein and fat. In addition, daily milk yield was recorded from each buffalo. Prevalence of IMI was large; 63% of quarters were infected. No buffalo remained free from IMI throughout the course of the study. Coagulase-negative staphylococci were the most common pathogen (66% of positive samples). The SCC was distinctly greater in infected quarters; 100% of quarters with SCC >200,000 cell/mL had IMI, whereas 98% of quarters with SCC below this threshold were uninfected. The somatic cell scores (SCS) in these buffaloes were much lower than those commonly observed in dairy cattle. The mean SCS from quarters with IMI was only 2.93. The highest SCS was observed in quarters infected by streptococci. No drastic decrease in milk yield was observed among infected buffaloes relative to healthy contemporaries. The relatively low SCS and lack of a strong effect on milk yield provide evidence to discourage antibiotic treatment of buffaloes for subclinical IMI during lactation.

Key Words: buffalo • intramammary infection • somatic cell count

This article has been cited by other articles:

				Y. K. Park, H. C. Koo, S. H. Kim, S. Y. Hwang, W. K. Jung, J. M. Kim, S. Shin, R. T. Kim, and Y. H. Park The Analysis of Milk Components and Pathogenic Bacteria Isolated from Bovine Raw Milk in Korea J Dairy Sci, December 1, 2007; 90(12): 5405 - 5414. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Aires-de-Sousa, C. E. S. R. Parente, O. Vieira-da-Motta, I. C. F. Bonna, D. A. Silva, and H. de Lencastre Characterization of Staphylococcus aureus Isolates from Buffalo, Bovine, Ovine, and Caprine Milk Samples Collected in Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil Appl. Envir. Microbiol., June 15, 2007; 73(12): 3845 - 3849. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]