The influence of ewe intramammary infection caused by coagulase-negative staphylococci on the milk constituents total protein, albumin, potassium and sodium

Abstract

AbstractAn experiment was carried out to estimate the concentration of sodium, potassium, whey albumin and total protein of normal and experimentally infected milk from meat breed ewes. Intramammary infection significantly (P> 0·0001) increased the concentration of sodium, albumin and total protein and decreased that of potassium. The potassium decrease was not statistically significant fP = 0·08). The increase in whey albumin and total protein was followed by a significant decrease in the albumin and total protein of blood serum. The increases and decreases of sodium, potassium, albumin and total protein were significantly correlated to the rise in somatic cell count and subsided 3 to 4 days after failure to isolate the infecting micro-organisms from the milk of ewes. Changes in the concentration of albumin could be used in identifying infected mammary glands or to evaluate the virulence of the infecting micro-organism.