Vol. 9, Special Issue 2 (2024)

Author(s): Anish Koul, Priyanka M Kittur, Lija S, Sunaina Choudhary, Aarti Kamboj and AK Dang

Abstract: Mastitis, an inflammation of the udder predominantly caused by intramammary infection, poses significant economic and welfare challenges to the dairy industry. While somatic cell count (SCC) serves as a traditional indicator of udder health, its variability and inability to distinguish cell types limit its diagnostic utility. This study focuses on assessing the efficacy of milk differential leukocyte counts (DLC) in early lactating Sahiwal cows for identifying udder health status. Thirty-six Sahiwal cows in early lactation were categorized into healthy, subclinical mastitis, and clinical mastitis groups based on SCC and California mastitis test. Milk samples were analyzed for SCC and DLC, including neutrophils, macrophages, and lymphocytes. Results revealed a significant increase in neutrophil percentage and a decrease in macrophage percentage as udder health deteriorated. Conversely, lymphocyte percentage decreased, albeit not significantly, from healthy to subclinical mastitis. These findings underscore the importance of DLC in complementing SCC for a comprehensive assessment of udder health in early lactating Sahiwal cows. Implementation of DLC could enhance diagnostic accuracy and facilitate targeted interventions for mastitis management in dairy herds.