Which two tests, aside from the California Mastitis Test, are used to test viscosity of milk?

• A. Wisconsin Mastitis Test and Modified Whiteside Test
• B. Modified Whiteside Test and Babcock Test
• C. Wisconsin Mastitis Test and Ring Test
• D. Clot-on-boiling Test and Gelatin Test

Answer: (A)

Tests that rely on milk viscosity assess how thick or gel-like the milk becomes when inflammatory cells are present. In milk from cows with mastitis, somatic cells release DNA and other substances that raise viscosity, so a test that measures this thickening can indicate infection.

The Wisconsin Mastitis Test and the Modified Whiteside Test both use this principle. In the Wisconsin Mastitis Test, milk is mixed with a reagent that interacts with the cellular content; higher somatic cell counts cause the mixture to become more viscous and form a gel-like consistency, with the degree of gelation reflecting the SCC level. The Modified Whiteside Test uses a similar approach but with a different reagent ratio to produce a readable viscous change or ring formation that correlates with mastitis status. These are specifically designed to gauge viscosity changes, making them the two tests aside from the California Mastitis Test that are used for this purpose.

The other options involve tests that focus on butterfat content, heat-induced clotting, or gelatinous properties that aren’t used primarily to assess milk viscosity as related to mastitis, so they don’t fulfill the same purpose.