Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-8bljj Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-06-20T07:12:36.222Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Investigations into falsely elevated somatic cell counts of bulked herd milk

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 June 2009

Roderic J. T. Hoare ,
Paul J. Nicholls  and
Richard F. Sheldrake
Roderic J. T. Hoare
Affiliation:
New South Wales Department of Agriculture, Veterinary Research Station, Glenfield, N. S. W. 2167, Australia
Paul J. Nicholls
Affiliation:
Biometry Branch, N. S. W. Department of Agriculture, Sydney, N. S. W. 2000, Australia
Richard F. Sheldrake
Affiliation:
New South Wales Department of Agriculture, Veterinary Research Station, Glenfield, N. S. W. 2167, Australia
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

Bulk milk cell counts obtained by a Coulter Milk Cell Counter were shown to be falsely elevated because of the formation of non-cellular particles (NCP). The NCP, which were detected by the use of a particle size analyser, were removed if the milk samples were heated to 55 °C for 15 min before the addition of formalin. A survey of bulk milk supplies in New South Wales showed that NCP occurred in milk from 2 % of farms, the counts being falsely elevated by about 200000 cells/ml. Surveys of milking equipment of farms where the bulk milk had shown this phenomenon demonstrated a relationship between the use of centrifugal milk pumps and the presence of NCP with a much lower prevalence in herds where spit chamber releasers were used. These particles were not air bubbles since air was removed from the milk by heating to 60 °C for 5 min, vacuum at 65 mmHg for 15 minor 0·5% v/voctan-2-ol; only the heat treatment removed the NCP.

Type
Original Articles
Information
Journal of Dairy Research , Volume 49 , Issue 4 , November 1982 , pp. 559 - 565
Copyright
Copyright © Proprietors of Journal of Dairy Research 1982

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Akam, D. N. 1977 Description and performance of components. In Machine Milking pp 37–101 (Ed. Thiel, C. C. and Dodd, F. H.). Reading: National Institute for Research in DairyingGoogle Scholar
Dijkman, A. J., Breunissen, H., Van der laar, J. M. J., Perriens, J., Verberne, H.& Jaartsveld, F. H. J. 1979 Entrapped air as a cause of erroneous milk cell counts (Coulter counter). Netherlands Milk and Dairy Journal 33 155–157Google Scholar
Hoare, R. J. T., Critchley, D. J., Dettmann, E. B., Sheldrake, R. F. & Fell, L. R. 1979 Mastitis control: a survey of farm practices and their relationship to bulk milk cell counts. Australian Journal of Dairy Technology 34 91–96Google Scholar
Hoare, R. J. T. & Sheldrake, R. F. 1976 Progress towards mastitis control. New South Wales Veterinary Proceedings 12 50–51Google Scholar
Sheldrake, R. F., Hoare, R. J. T., Woodhouse, V. E. & Mcgregor, G. D. 1977 Cell volume to aid analysis and technique of somatic cell counts in milk. Journal of Dairy Science 60 882–888CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Tolle, A., Zeidler, H. & Heeschen, W. 1966 [A method of electronic cell count in milk.] Milchwissenschaft 21 93–98Google Scholar