Influence of storage and preservation of milk samples on microscopic and Fossomatic somatic cell counts

Milk somatic cell counting was carried out by Fossomatic and microscopically. In unpreserved milk samples Fossomatic counts increased by up to 100% during the first 24 hours after milking. During the next 24 hours the counts increased by 5% whereafter they remained stable until at least 80 hours after milking, when the samples were stored at 5 degress C. On microscopical counting using methylene blue for staining, the results were stable from shortly after milking. In counting, attention had to be paid to the fact that within the first 24 hours a certain part of the cells would stain but faintly. After preservation with potassium bichromate the Fossomatic counts increased more rapidly. Stable results were found 5--8 hours after preservation. The final level of the Fossomatic counts was found to be app. 10% higher in preserved than in unpreserved samples. A smaller increase was found by microscopic counting. The rise of the cell counts during the first 24 hours after milking is probably due to inadequate stainability of living cells with ethidium bromide, resulting in a certain part of them being recorded by the Fossomatic. During the first day the vitality of the cells diminishes whereby they become stainable and countable. This process in hastened by potassium bichromate treatment.