For herds with a BMSCC of 300,000 cells/mL or less, each 100,000 cells/mL indicates approximately 15% of cows are infected. In all herds, a sudden increase of 50,000 cells/mL or more may indicate that one or more clinical cases have been missed. The impact of clinical cases will be more pronounced for smaller herds, or when there are fewer animals in the herd, such as at the start or end of the season.

Guideline 11 provides practical information on:

• Monitoring BMSCC for sharp spikes in SCC
• Seeking advice if BMSCC is consistently above your trigger or close to grading
• Lowering BMSCC if no clinical cases are found

Technote 11 provides technical information for farmers and advisers on:

• Estimating the level of mastitis in a herd using BMSCC
• Actions to take in response to trends in BMSCC
• The influence of a cow with clinical mastitis on BMSCC