Contagem de células somáticas e isolamento de agentes causadores de mastite em búfalas (Bubalus bubalis).

The research was accomplished in eight dairy water buffalo herds, randomically choosen in Região do Alto São Francisco, State of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Information was collected from March to November, 2003 during 270 days of observation. In order to determine the somatic cell count (SCC) in presence or absence of microbial isolation, 1,393 samples were collected from 285 lactating females and microbiological exams and SCC were done. Samples obtained from udders without evidence of clinical or subclinical inflammation showed infection for a great variety of microbial mastitis pathogens. The low SCC did not necessarily indicate the absence of intramammary infection, suggesting that SCC patterns used for bovine cannot be appropriate in order to control mastitis in buffalo herds.