Screening method for early detection of mastitis in cows

Mastitis in cows is an inflammation of the mammary gland usually caused by bacterial infection of udder tissues. This disease causes considerable damages to the cattlemen when reducing the quantity and the quality of the produced milk. An early detection and corrective action can lead to early cure. Although the universal method to measure mastitis levels is by determining the somatic cell counts per milliliter of milk, the electrical conductivity of milk could be a rapid test for checking the acceptability of milk to monitor the effects of udder infection. In this paper a low-cost circuit for estimating the quality of raw milk based on AC electrical conductivity measurements is proposed. It consists in the use of a modified Wheatstone bridge to minimize the parasitic effects. A conductivity cell consisting of two electrodes and a coaxial cable was also designed. The temperature of the milk is also measured and compensated its effect. This system can help the farmer to detect quickly and economically the state of health of their cows from a simple measurement of electrical conductivity performed on the dairy farm itself.