Risk factors associated with BMSCC greater than 200 000 cells/ml in dairy herds in southern Chile

A cross-sectional survey of 523 dairy farms in the south of Chile was carried out to quantify risk factors associated with bulk-milk somatic-cell count (BMSCC) >200 x 10(3)cells/ml. Questionnaires followed by one reminder were sent to 3710 dairy farms via the 11 milk-processing plants that they supplied in October 1998. The response proportion was 14.1%. The median BMSCC was 289 x 10(3) cells/ml (range: 74 x 10(3) to 1800 x 10(3)cells/ml). The median herd size was 70 cows (range: 7-616); herd size was not associated with BMSCC. The annual milk yield of 33.2% of the herds was <4000 l and 53.4% had an annual milk yield of 4 x 10(3) to 6 x 10(3) l. Clinical-mastitis records were kept by 55.3% of the farmers. Seventy-six percent of the farmers (377/499) reported <10 clinical cases of mastitis in the year prior to the questionnaire. Logistic multiple regression indicated that BMSCC >200 x 10(3)cells/ml was more likely when foremilking was practised, and when cows were collected in a yard before milking. BMSCC was less likely to be >200 x 10(3)cells/ml when teats were washed with water containing disinfectant compared with plain water; when the udder and teats were always checked before milking compared with, sometimes or never; when cows with mastitis were milked first compared with any other ordering, and when farmers recorded individual-cow somatic-cell count (ICSCC) compared with when ICSCC was not recorded.