Estimation of the prevalence of udder infection in dairy herds based on a single-quarter sample from each cow in the dairy herd.
Individual quarter milk samples were taken from 719 cows in 7 dairy herds and examined for mastitis-causing pathogens. Analyses were made to ascertain the prevalence of mastitis infection when the results from a single quarter were compared with those from all 4 quarters. There was a very close similarity between the 2 methods of assessment. When the number of samples is limited, sampling of a single quarter instead of all 4 quarters permits more cows to be examined.
D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D005260:Female; D008414:Mastitis, Bovine / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology*; D008722:Methods; D008892:Milk / Q000382:microbiology*