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Conference paper2009

The relationship between pooled and individual milk samples for detecting antibodies to bovine coronavirus and bovine respiratory syncytial virus

Ohlson Anna, Emanuelson Ulf, Tråven Madeleine, Alenius Stefan

Abstract

Bulk tank, pooled and individual milk samples has previously been used to detect antibodies to bovine coronavirus (BCV) and bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV). The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between pooled and individual milk samples in primiparous dairy cows. We collected ten individual milk samples from sixty-four Swedish dairy herds. The samples were first analysed individually for IgG antibodies to BCV and BRSV with indirect ELISA. A pooled milk samples from up to five primiparous cows was then analysed for each herd. Sixteen of the pooled milk samples were negative to BCV; fifteen of these consisted of only negative individual samples and one of 33% positive individual samples. Forty-eight pooled samples were positive to BCV of witch 39 consisted of only positive individual samples and nine of between 33 and 80 percent positive individual samples. Ten pooled samples were negative to BRSV; six of these consisted of only negative individual samples and four of 25 to 50 percent positive individual samples. Fifty-four pooled samples were positive to BRSV; 42 consisted of only positive individual samples and 12 consisted of 33 to 80 percent positive individual samples. We found that there was a good agreement between individual and pooled samples. A pooled sample of a few primiparous cows is a convenient way to mirror the recent infection history in a herd compared with bulk tank milk which reflects a longer time period

Published in

Conference

International Society for Veterinary Epidemiology and Economics, ISVEE XII