Browsing by Author "Tavares, A."
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- Efficiency of somatic cell count and california mastitis test in the diagnosis of subclinical mastitis in terrincha ewesPublication . Mendonça, Álvaro; Machado, M.; Tavares, A.; Quintas, Helder; Valentim, Ramiro; Maurício, Raimundo; Cardoso, ManuelThis study aimed to compare the efficiency of microbiological test with Californian Mastitis Test and somatic cell count in the diagnosis of Subclinical Mastitis (SM) in Terrincha sheep. Twenty-seven of a flock of about 200 Terrincha ewes (local breed) were studied for a period of 9 weeks (n > 497 samples). Milk samples were aseptically collected from each half udder once a week. At the same time, another sampled was collected from the bulk tank. After being transported to Lab under refrigeration all samples were immediately processed. The tests performed were the total microbial count (PCA), the Californian Mastitis Test (CMT) and the somatic cell count (SCC). After PCA testing, all samples exceeding 500 cfu/ml of milk (10-1 dilution) were considered positive to mastitis. The SCC was performed by a Fossmatic equipment at the Lactogal Lab. CMT was more accurate to predict Negative (87.1%) than Positive (43.1%) samples (Chi-square = 42.5; P≤0.001), meaning that 12.9% half udders were classified as negative being positive and 47.7% half udders were classified as positive being negative. PCA Negative and Positive samples were related to different SCC values (Negative: 277,048.9 ± 571,249.7 vs. Positive: 800,329.5 ± 1,444.970 somatic cells; P≤0.001), allowing to identify the real Positive (infected) half udders in complement to CMT.
- Ewe mastitis and milk safetyPublication . Mendonça, Álvaro; Machado, M.; Tavares, A.; Quintas, Helder; Fernandes, António; Maurício, Raimundo; Cardoso, ManuelIn order to assess the safety of milk used for produce raw milk ewe cheeses, we collect 60 milk aseptic samples from 60 half udders, during nine weeks, totalizing 540 samples. As result we identified 19 different microorganisms in 86 glands during the sampling time. Only one microorganism (S. aureus) could be dangerous for human health, found in the 6th week. All the others were almost all pathogens for animal itself. We considered as infected those half udders presenting more than two positive isolations during the all period of sampling. From the total glands, 38,3% was negative, 48,7% with two or fewer infections and 15% were consistently infected. We found two females with a double mastitis, two females with a single mastitis with a persistent infection and three females with single mastitis but with less than 4 isolations. Two animals represented 50% of the total infected half udders and 26,7% of the total isolations, showing the importance of individual mastitis control in ewes.