RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CELL COUNTS IN BOVINE-MILK AND THE PRESENCE OF MASTITIS PATHOGENS (YEASTS AND BACTERIA)

Bovine mastitis is an economically important disease in dairy industry and a variety of pathogen microorganisms are involved. The AA carried out a study to investigate the prevalence of yeasts and bacteria in m ilk samples (794) from dairy cows of Umbria (Central Italy), belonging to 19 herds, and the relationship between cell counts in bovine milk and the presence of these pathogens. 29.7% milk samples were positive for pathogen microorganisms, of those 4.9% were positive for yeasts an d bacteria, 4.4% for yeasts and 20.4% for bacteria. The species of yea sts and bacteria most frequently encountered were Trichosporon capitat um (31.2%), T. beigelii (18.72%) and Candida albicans (12.48%), C. gui ilermondii (12.48%), C. tropicalis (12.48%); with regard to bacteria w ere Staphylococcus aureus (34.3%) and S. albo (19.8%). The presence of yeasts and bacteria in milk samples are correlated to an increase of somatic cell counts even if with different degree. Epidemiological and sanitary correlation were carried out.