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Analysis of somatic cell count data by a peak evaluation algorithm to determine inflammation events.
F Elvinger1, R C Littell, R P Natzke
1Dairy Science Department, University of Florida, Gainesville 32611.
Journal of Dairy Science
|October 1, 1991
Summary
Somatic cell count (SCC) increases indicate udder inflammation events. A new algorithm detected more frequent inflammation in summer and longer inflammation duration in cows treated with bovine somatotropin (bST).
Area of Science:
- Veterinary Medicine
- Dairy Science
- Animal Health
Background:
- Somatic cell count (SCC) is a key indicator of udder inflammation in dairy cows.
- Traditional analysis methods may not fully capture the dynamics of sporadic inflammation events.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze inflammation events in dairy cows using a novel peak evaluation algorithm.
- To investigate the effects of season and bovine somatotropin (bST) on SCC inflammation events.
Main Methods:
- Utilized the PULSAR peak evaluation algorithm to establish baseline SCC values.
- Defined inflammation events as significant increases in log2(SCC) above baseline.
- Analyzed weekly composite milk SCC data from two Florida dairy farms, considering season and bST treatment.
Main Results:
- The algorithm detected a higher incidence rate of inflammation events during summer compared to fall (4.31 vs. 2.91 events/cow/year).
- Cows treated with bST showed a longer duration of inflammation events in one dataset (2.4 vs. 1.6 weeks).
- Standard analysis of variance did not detect significant effects of season or bST on log2(SCC).
Conclusions:
- The PULSAR algorithm effectively identified seasonal and bST-related effects on udder inflammation events, which were missed by conventional methods.
- This highlights the algorithm's utility in understanding subclinical mastitis dynamics.