Correlation among milk SCC, milk cortisol, and udder surface temperature in cows, buffaloes, and goats

Abstract

Early identification of subclinical mastitis is critical for preserving udder health, milk quality, and productivity in dairy animals. This study investigated the interrelationships among milk somatic cell count (SCC), milk cortisol concentration, udder skin surface temperature (USST), and teat skin surface temperature (TSST) in cows, buffaloes, and goats, to evaluate their combined diagnostic potential as inflammatory, endocrine, and thermographic indicators of mammary health. Correlation analysis revealed marked species-specific patterns in the strength of associations among the studied parameters. In cows, milk SCC showed strong positive correlations with milk cortisol (r = 0.875), USST (r = 0.841), and TSST (r = 0.725), indicating a tight coupling between intramammary inflammation, stress hormone secretion, and surface thermal responses. Buffaloes exhibited similarly positive but comparatively moderate associations between SCC and milk cortisol (r = 0.815, p goat, highlighting inherent species differences in mammary inflammatory and stress responses. The findings support the combined use of SCC, milk cortisol, and infrared thermography-based surface temperatures as a complementary framework for early detection of subclinical mastitis, while emphasizing the need for species-specific interpretation, particularly in goats.