Prevalence and risk factors associated with high somatic cell count in Chinese dairy herds

This study aimed to (1) estimate the prevalence of cow-level high somatic cell count (SCC) in Chinese dairy herds and (2) identify potential factors associated with cow- and herd-level SCC variables. The monthly data on dairy herd improvement were collected from a total of 131 dairy herds in 11 prov...

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Main Authors: Zhaoju Deng, Kun Wang, Chuang Xu, Jie Cao, Chong Ma
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2022-11-01
Series:Frontiers in Veterinary Science
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fvets.2022.967275/full
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author Zhaoju Deng
Kun Wang
Chuang Xu
Jie Cao
Chong Ma
author_facet Zhaoju Deng
Kun Wang
Chuang Xu
Jie Cao
Chong Ma
author_sort Zhaoju Deng
collection DOAJ
description This study aimed to (1) estimate the prevalence of cow-level high somatic cell count (SCC) in Chinese dairy herds and (2) identify potential factors associated with cow- and herd-level SCC variables. The monthly data on dairy herd improvement were collected from a total of 131 dairy herds in 11 provinces in China in 2019. Mixed models were constructed using the cow composite milk SCC and the variance of cow SCC as dependent variables separately and parity, seasons, days in milk (DIM), herd size, and farm types (family-owned vs. company-owned) as fixed effects, accounting for the nested random herd and cow effect. We used negative binomial regression using herd-level SCC-related variables, namely, monthly proportion of high SCC, monthly proportion of new high SCC, monthly proportion of chronic high SCC, and monthly proportion of new chronic high SCC as dependent variables separately against seasons, herd size, and farm types with the random herd effect. The overall average prevalence of high SCCs for each month per farm was 0.26 (2.5–97.5% quantile: 0–0.56). Company-owned farms performed better in herd SCC management. Seasons were significantly associated with all the aforementioned variables, and summer and autumn were the seasons associated with worse outcomes in herd SCCs. This study is the first to assess high SCC in a large number of Chinese dairy herds, which is useful for farms to tailor the on-farm mastitis control programs in China.
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spelling doaj.art-c11f58b6bfef40ab8c36ca438c83b0852022-12-22T03:57:07ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Veterinary Science2297-17692022-11-01910.3389/fvets.2022.967275967275Prevalence and risk factors associated with high somatic cell count in Chinese dairy herdsZhaoju Deng0Kun Wang1Chuang Xu2Jie Cao3Chong Ma4Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, ChinaInstitute of Cereal and Oil Crops, Hebei Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences, Shijiazhuang, ChinaDepartment of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, ChinaDepartment of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, ChinaDepartment of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, ChinaThis study aimed to (1) estimate the prevalence of cow-level high somatic cell count (SCC) in Chinese dairy herds and (2) identify potential factors associated with cow- and herd-level SCC variables. The monthly data on dairy herd improvement were collected from a total of 131 dairy herds in 11 provinces in China in 2019. Mixed models were constructed using the cow composite milk SCC and the variance of cow SCC as dependent variables separately and parity, seasons, days in milk (DIM), herd size, and farm types (family-owned vs. company-owned) as fixed effects, accounting for the nested random herd and cow effect. We used negative binomial regression using herd-level SCC-related variables, namely, monthly proportion of high SCC, monthly proportion of new high SCC, monthly proportion of chronic high SCC, and monthly proportion of new chronic high SCC as dependent variables separately against seasons, herd size, and farm types with the random herd effect. The overall average prevalence of high SCCs for each month per farm was 0.26 (2.5–97.5% quantile: 0–0.56). Company-owned farms performed better in herd SCC management. Seasons were significantly associated with all the aforementioned variables, and summer and autumn were the seasons associated with worse outcomes in herd SCCs. This study is the first to assess high SCC in a large number of Chinese dairy herds, which is useful for farms to tailor the on-farm mastitis control programs in China.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fvets.2022.967275/fullsubclinical mastitisrisk factorsdairy herd improvementsomatic cell countprevalence
spellingShingle Zhaoju Deng
Kun Wang
Chuang Xu
Jie Cao
Chong Ma
Prevalence and risk factors associated with high somatic cell count in Chinese dairy herds
Frontiers in Veterinary Science
subclinical mastitis
risk factors
dairy herd improvement
somatic cell count
prevalence
title Prevalence and risk factors associated with high somatic cell count in Chinese dairy herds
title_full Prevalence and risk factors associated with high somatic cell count in Chinese dairy herds
title_fullStr Prevalence and risk factors associated with high somatic cell count in Chinese dairy herds
title_full_unstemmed Prevalence and risk factors associated with high somatic cell count in Chinese dairy herds
title_short Prevalence and risk factors associated with high somatic cell count in Chinese dairy herds
title_sort prevalence and risk factors associated with high somatic cell count in chinese dairy herds
topic subclinical mastitis
risk factors
dairy herd improvement
somatic cell count
prevalence
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fvets.2022.967275/full
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AT jiecao prevalenceandriskfactorsassociatedwithhighsomaticcellcountinchinesedairyherds
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