The Indicators of Clinical and Subclinical Mastitis in Equine Milk.
Authors: Domańska Dominika, Trela Michał, Pawliński Bartosz, Podeszewski Bartłomiej, Domino Małgorzata
Journal: Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
Summary
# Editorial Summary: Indicators of Clinical and Subclinical Mastitis in Equine Milk Somatic cell count (SCC) and electrical conductivity (ECM) serve as valuable biomarkers for mammary gland health in mares, yet their diagnostic utility in equine production remains underexplored compared to bovine lactation medicine. Researchers examined milk samples from 27 mares—15 with clinical mastitis (CM) and 12 without clinical signs—measuring SCC, differential somatic cell populations (polymorphonuclear neutrophils, macrophages, and lymphocytes), ECM, and bacteriological indices across the lactation cycle from early post-partum through weaning. Healthy mares (NCM) showed elevated SCC, PMN, MAC, and LYM counts immediately after birth, which declined through consecutive sampling days; however, after weaning these parameters increased significantly and converged with values observed in clinically affected animals. These findings suggest that rising somatic cell populations and electrical conductivity post-weaning may represent early indicators of subclinical mastitis before visible clinical signs manifest. For practitioners managing dairy mares or breeding programmes, implementing routine milk quality assessment protocols using these markers could enable earlier intervention, improve herd health outcomes, and provide objective data for mammary gland monitoring in individual animals.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Monitor SCC and electrical conductivity of mare milk as non-invasive screening tools for early detection of subclinical mastitis before clinical signs appear
- •Expect naturally elevated somatic cell counts in early lactation and during weaning transition periods in healthy mares; use trending and reference ranges rather than absolute values
- •Implement routine milk testing protocols on dairy equine farms to identify subclinical mastitis and maintain mammary gland health before disease progresses to clinical presentation
Key Findings
- •Somatic cell count (SCC), polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN), macrophages (MAC), lymphocytes (LYM), and electrical conductivity of milk (ECM) were higher in non-clinical mastitis mares during early lactation than in consecutive post-birth days until weaning
- •After weaning, SCC, PMN, MAC, LYM, ECM, and bacteriological index increased in non-clinical mastitis mares to levels comparable with clinical mastitis mares
- •Milk indicators including SCC and ECM may serve as early indicators of subclinical mastitis in equine dairy farms