DIRECT AND INDIRECT MEASUREMENT OF SOMATIC CELL COUNT IN DETECTING SUBCLINICAL MASTITIS IN GOATS
This study determined subclinical mastitis in goats thru direct microscopic somatic cell count (DMSCC) and California Mastitis Test (CMT) and how well direct (DMSCC) and indirect (CMT) measurement of SCC correspond in detecting subclinical mastitis in goats. Results show that DMSCC and CMT have correlation coefficient (r) of 0.986 in detecting subclinical mastitis in goats. The apocrine type of milk secretion in goats result in high somatic cell counts that generally alter the well-accepted relationship between somatic cell count (SCC) and the level of intramammary infection of goats. SCC in goats’ milk is mostly much higher than in cows’ milk and still be accounted to come from healthy udder. CMT has the advantage as “animal side” test that does not need to be skilled in order to use the instrument, however confirmation should be done by bacterial examination.
Goats; Somatic cell count, California Mastitis Test; Subclinical mastitis.