PREDICTING THE PROBABILITY OF QUARTER INFECTION (BY MAJOR PATHOGENS) FROM SOMATIC-CELL CONCENTRATION

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  • 1 January 1982
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 43  (7) , 1296-1299
Abstract
The herd factor did not significantly affect distributions of somatic cell counts of 6560 (cow) milk samples (collected in 3 herds) within an infection status. Minor-infections distribution for a herd was closer to that of healthy quarters than that of major infections. About 35% of the quarters infected by major pathogens had counts < 400,000 cells/ml. Statistical analysis by onditional probability indicated that herd major-infection level should be taken into account to predict the probability of quarter infection by major pathogens. Discrimination with a good reliability between presence and absence of pathogens, as estimated by a single somatic cell count, is seemingly possible only in herds with high major-infection level.