Professional paper
Veterinary visits to dairy farms with somatic cell counts and bacterial loads above the agreed legal parameters
Paolo Moroni
; Instituto di Malattite Infettive Profilassi e Polizia Veterinaria - Universita degli, Studi di Milano, Italy
Valerio Bronzo
Antonio Casula
Gianfranco Ruffo
Abstract
The EU Directives 92/46 and 92/47 (D.P.R. 54/97 under national legislation) fix the agreed levels of somatic cell counts and total bacterial counts allowed in milk. Over a one year period, a total of 165farms which did not comply with one or more such legal requirements were visited and monitored. This was in order to check and, where necessary, correct the hygienic and sanitary management of the farm. A comparison of the bulk tank milk somatic cell count (BTMSCC) before and after the veterinary visit, shows improvements in all the farms which were tested. In a relatively short time, visited dairy farms with a somatic cell content between 401.000 and 500.000 cells/ml managed to comply with the parameters set down by law, achieving a mean of 304.000 cells/ml. However, those farms with a somatic cell counts between 501.000 and 800.000 cells/ml required further technical action. In fact, despite considerable improvements (mean somatic cell count decreasing from 638.000 cells/ml to 403.000 cells/ml), it was not possible to meet the required levels so rapidly. On these farms, a second veterinary visit was needed as well as more specific milk sampling for bacteriological assay and therapeutic guidelines in order to meet the specified requirements.
Keywords
dairy farms; bulk tank somatic cell counts; veterinary visits
Hrčak ID:
93290
URI
Publication date:
4.9.2000.
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