Somatic cell count (SCC) is an indicator of the quality of milk. White blood cells known as leukocytes constitute the majority of somatic cells in question. The number of somatic cells increases in response to pathogenic bacteria like Staphylococcus aureus, a cause of mastitis. The SCC is quantified as cells per ml. General agreement rests on the values of less than 100,000 cells/ml for uninfected cows and greater than 300,000 for cows infected with significant pathogens. The California mastitis test provides a cow-side measure of somatic cell count. The somatic cell count in the milk also increases after calving when colostrum is produced.
Read more about Somatic Cell Count: Somatic Cell Count and Bacteria Plate Count
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