Mastitis disease is considered to be the most important animal health problem among the factors that decrease the income of dairies and negatively affect the economy. Total bacterial and somatic cell counts used to determine breast health and milk quality are used as a reliable method. There are many factors that increase the total number of bacteria and somatic cells in milk. These include, for example, incompliance with biosecurity rules, insufficient feeding of animals, milking periods, seasonal conditions, cow's heat, milking, milking capacity, milking hygiene and management, barn layout and layout.

Under normal conditions, the number of somatic cells in milk obtained from a healthy cow must be below 100 thousand cells / ml. Milk quality controls in our country and other countries are carried out with samples taken from milk cooling tank. According to the results of various researches, the loss of milk yield due to the increase in the number of somatic cells finds 25 percent. Therefore, determination of somatic cell count is important for healthy and high quality milk production and herd management. All dairy farms, veterinarians and dairy processing plants perform somatic cell count measurements. In this way, animals with mastitis in the flock are detected and treated in a timely manner, thus obtaining ecologically pure milk.

In advanced laboratories, somatic cell counts are performed by using modern devices among microbiological analyzes. These studies are based on standards published by national and international organizations. A few standards considered in this regard are:

• Milk - Counting somatic cells - Part 13366: Microscopic method (reference method)
• TS EN ISO 13366-2 / AC Milk - Somatic cell counting - Part 2: Guide for Fluoro-Opto-Electronic counter operations