Table 2.
Selected cumulative results obtained during field and laboratory examinations in samples collected from 444 small ruminant farms in a countrywide investigation in Greece, classified according to animal species in the farms.
| Sheep Flocks (n = 325) | Goat Herds (n = 199) | p-Value 1 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clinical Examinations of Animals at the Farms | |||
| Body condition scoring | X: 2.38 ± 0.02 (scale: 0–5) 2 | X: 2.54 ± 0.03 (scale: 0–5) | <0.0001 |
| Laboratory Examinations in Bulk-Tank Milk Samples | |||
| Somatic cell counts | 0.488 × 106 (0.451 × 106–0.529 × 106) cells mL−1 3 | 0.838 × 106 (0.759 × 106–0.933 × 106) cells mL−1 | <0.0001 |
| Total bacterial counts | 398 × 103 (331 × 103–479 × 103) cfu 4 mL−1 | 581 × 103 (447 × 103–741 × 103) cfu mL−1 | <0.0001 |
| Staphylococcal isolation | Yes: 63.4%, no: 36.6% 5 | Yes: 63.0%, no: 37.0% | 0.94 |
| Listeria isolation | Yes: 1.2%, no: 98.8% | Yes: 0.0%, no: 100.0% | 0.22 |
| Fat content | X: 6.16% ± 0.05% | X: 4.77% ± 0.44% | 0.0005 |
| Protein content | X: 4.43% ± 0.01% | X: 3.23% ± 0.30% | 0.0008 |
| Parasitological Examinations in Faecal Samples | |||
| epg counts | X: 214 ± 13 | X: 219 ± 22 | 0.77 |
1 p-value for comparison between sheep flocks and goat herds; 2 Figures present mean ± standard error of the mean (X ± σM.); 3 Figures present mean (95% confidence intervals); 4 cfu: colony-forming units; 5 Figures present proportions of farms for each category within the variable.