Intended to give the reader a thorough understanding about the cause and importance of somatic cells to the farmer, milk buyer and the cow. It is written by a vet who spends his time resolving mastitis problems. It should be of great value to farmers and vets who are involved in mastitis control. Includes sections on: Cause and importance of somatic cells to the farmer, milk buyer and the cow; Factors affecting cell counts; Economic impact of high cell counts; The importance of bacteriology and individual cell count testing; Comparison of the different testing methods; How to achieve a low cell count; How to stop the spread of infection; Advice on decision making for problem cows.