Usefulness of differential somatic cell count for udder health monitoring: Effect of intramammary infections, days in milk, quarter location, and parity on quarter-level differential somatic cell count and somatic cell score in apparently healthy dairy cows
ABSTRACT: Microbial infections of the mammary gland often cause mastitis, and it can lead to substantial economic losses within the dairy industry due to its direct negative impact on milk production and composition and the associated treatment costs. Somatic cell count has emerged as a critical ind...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Elsevier
2025-04-01
|
| Series: | Journal of Dairy Science |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022030224013857 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1850147270415089664 |
|---|---|
| author | Mariana Fonseca Daryna Kurban Jean-Philippe Roy Débora E. Santschi Elouise Molgat Simon Dufour |
| author_facet | Mariana Fonseca Daryna Kurban Jean-Philippe Roy Débora E. Santschi Elouise Molgat Simon Dufour |
| author_sort | Mariana Fonseca |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | ABSTRACT: Microbial infections of the mammary gland often cause mastitis, and it can lead to substantial economic losses within the dairy industry due to its direct negative impact on milk production and composition and the associated treatment costs. Somatic cell count has emerged as a critical indicator in monitoring udder health, and recently, the large-scale availability of differential cell count analysis potentially offers new insights into underlying physiological processes. Therefore, the main objective of this study was to estimate the variation of differential SCC (DSCC) and SCC of individual quarter-level milk samples of cows according to (1) their intramammary infectious status; (2) parity of the cow; (3) quarter location; and (4) DIM at the time of sampling. A convenience sample of 5 dairy herds using an automated milking system was selected and visited every 2 wk for milk sample collection. The determination of SCC and DSCC was performed by Lactanet using a CombiFoss 7 DC instrument. The bacteriological culture was performed according to the National Mastitis Council standards. The different types of colonies (up to 10 colonies) were counted and identified using MALDI-TOF. Given the hierarchical structure of the data, a 4-level, linear mixed model with herd, cow, and quarter as random intercepts was built with either SCS or DSCC as the outcome. Differential SCC varied broadly in the SCS range 2 to 12 but tended to have a narrower variation at higher SCS levels. The effect of DIM on DSCC depended on the parity. Early in lactation, primiparous cows tended to have lower DSCC than older cows. Following 230 DIM, the DSCC in primiparous exhibited an upward trend, whereas, in older cows, it tended to decline. The quarter position did not affect either DSCC or SCS. Quarters infected with Staphylococcus chromogenes, Streptococcus dysgalactiae, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, “other major,” and “other minor,” had an increase in DSCC by ∼10.2%, 9.9%, 9.8%, 9.2%, 6.0%, and 4.9%, respectively, when compared with quarters with no growth. Our findings highlighted that IMI, parity, and DIM influenced DSCC. Therefore, these parameters should be considered when interpreting DSCC. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-cee4429c3d524f628a1aa4a796e9bdea |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 0022-0302 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Dairy Science |
| spelling | doaj-art-cee4429c3d524f628a1aa4a796e9bdea2025-08-20T02:27:35ZengElsevierJournal of Dairy Science0022-03022025-04-0110843878389910.3168/jds.2024-25401Usefulness of differential somatic cell count for udder health monitoring: Effect of intramammary infections, days in milk, quarter location, and parity on quarter-level differential somatic cell count and somatic cell score in apparently healthy dairy cowsMariana Fonseca0Daryna Kurban1Jean-Philippe Roy2Débora E. Santschi3Elouise Molgat4Simon Dufour5Department of Pathology and Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC J2S2M2, Canada; Regroupement FRQNT Op+lait, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC J2S2M2, CanadaDepartment of Pathology and Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC J2S2M2, Canada; Regroupement FRQNT Op+lait, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC J2S2M2, CanadaRegroupement FRQNT Op+lait, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC J2S2M2, Canada; Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC J2S2M2, CanadaRegroupement FRQNT Op+lait, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC J2S2M2, Canada; Lactanet, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC H9X3R4, CanadaLactanet, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC H9X3R4, CanadaDepartment of Pathology and Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC J2S2M2, Canada; Regroupement FRQNT Op+lait, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC J2S2M2, Canada; Corresponding authorABSTRACT: Microbial infections of the mammary gland often cause mastitis, and it can lead to substantial economic losses within the dairy industry due to its direct negative impact on milk production and composition and the associated treatment costs. Somatic cell count has emerged as a critical indicator in monitoring udder health, and recently, the large-scale availability of differential cell count analysis potentially offers new insights into underlying physiological processes. Therefore, the main objective of this study was to estimate the variation of differential SCC (DSCC) and SCC of individual quarter-level milk samples of cows according to (1) their intramammary infectious status; (2) parity of the cow; (3) quarter location; and (4) DIM at the time of sampling. A convenience sample of 5 dairy herds using an automated milking system was selected and visited every 2 wk for milk sample collection. The determination of SCC and DSCC was performed by Lactanet using a CombiFoss 7 DC instrument. The bacteriological culture was performed according to the National Mastitis Council standards. The different types of colonies (up to 10 colonies) were counted and identified using MALDI-TOF. Given the hierarchical structure of the data, a 4-level, linear mixed model with herd, cow, and quarter as random intercepts was built with either SCS or DSCC as the outcome. Differential SCC varied broadly in the SCS range 2 to 12 but tended to have a narrower variation at higher SCS levels. The effect of DIM on DSCC depended on the parity. Early in lactation, primiparous cows tended to have lower DSCC than older cows. Following 230 DIM, the DSCC in primiparous exhibited an upward trend, whereas, in older cows, it tended to decline. The quarter position did not affect either DSCC or SCS. Quarters infected with Staphylococcus chromogenes, Streptococcus dysgalactiae, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, “other major,” and “other minor,” had an increase in DSCC by ∼10.2%, 9.9%, 9.8%, 9.2%, 6.0%, and 4.9%, respectively, when compared with quarters with no growth. Our findings highlighted that IMI, parity, and DIM influenced DSCC. Therefore, these parameters should be considered when interpreting DSCC.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022030224013857dairy cattlemastitisudder healthCanada |
| spellingShingle | Mariana Fonseca Daryna Kurban Jean-Philippe Roy Débora E. Santschi Elouise Molgat Simon Dufour Usefulness of differential somatic cell count for udder health monitoring: Effect of intramammary infections, days in milk, quarter location, and parity on quarter-level differential somatic cell count and somatic cell score in apparently healthy dairy cows Journal of Dairy Science dairy cattle mastitis udder health Canada |
| title | Usefulness of differential somatic cell count for udder health monitoring: Effect of intramammary infections, days in milk, quarter location, and parity on quarter-level differential somatic cell count and somatic cell score in apparently healthy dairy cows |
| title_full | Usefulness of differential somatic cell count for udder health monitoring: Effect of intramammary infections, days in milk, quarter location, and parity on quarter-level differential somatic cell count and somatic cell score in apparently healthy dairy cows |
| title_fullStr | Usefulness of differential somatic cell count for udder health monitoring: Effect of intramammary infections, days in milk, quarter location, and parity on quarter-level differential somatic cell count and somatic cell score in apparently healthy dairy cows |
| title_full_unstemmed | Usefulness of differential somatic cell count for udder health monitoring: Effect of intramammary infections, days in milk, quarter location, and parity on quarter-level differential somatic cell count and somatic cell score in apparently healthy dairy cows |
| title_short | Usefulness of differential somatic cell count for udder health monitoring: Effect of intramammary infections, days in milk, quarter location, and parity on quarter-level differential somatic cell count and somatic cell score in apparently healthy dairy cows |
| title_sort | usefulness of differential somatic cell count for udder health monitoring effect of intramammary infections days in milk quarter location and parity on quarter level differential somatic cell count and somatic cell score in apparently healthy dairy cows |
| topic | dairy cattle mastitis udder health Canada |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022030224013857 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT marianafonseca usefulnessofdifferentialsomaticcellcountforudderhealthmonitoringeffectofintramammaryinfectionsdaysinmilkquarterlocationandparityonquarterleveldifferentialsomaticcellcountandsomaticcellscoreinapparentlyhealthydairycows AT darynakurban usefulnessofdifferentialsomaticcellcountforudderhealthmonitoringeffectofintramammaryinfectionsdaysinmilkquarterlocationandparityonquarterleveldifferentialsomaticcellcountandsomaticcellscoreinapparentlyhealthydairycows AT jeanphilipperoy usefulnessofdifferentialsomaticcellcountforudderhealthmonitoringeffectofintramammaryinfectionsdaysinmilkquarterlocationandparityonquarterleveldifferentialsomaticcellcountandsomaticcellscoreinapparentlyhealthydairycows AT deboraesantschi usefulnessofdifferentialsomaticcellcountforudderhealthmonitoringeffectofintramammaryinfectionsdaysinmilkquarterlocationandparityonquarterleveldifferentialsomaticcellcountandsomaticcellscoreinapparentlyhealthydairycows AT elouisemolgat usefulnessofdifferentialsomaticcellcountforudderhealthmonitoringeffectofintramammaryinfectionsdaysinmilkquarterlocationandparityonquarterleveldifferentialsomaticcellcountandsomaticcellscoreinapparentlyhealthydairycows AT simondufour usefulnessofdifferentialsomaticcellcountforudderhealthmonitoringeffectofintramammaryinfectionsdaysinmilkquarterlocationandparityonquarterleveldifferentialsomaticcellcountandsomaticcellscoreinapparentlyhealthydairycows |