Figure 1

Overview of the experimental set-up. Milk samples were taken to check the quarters for the presence of bacteria and cytokine and antibody levels were determined before inoculation, and throughout the dry period and the first week of lactation. The quarter milk somatic cell count was determined before inoculation, in the colostrum sample and during the first 6 days in lactation. Sealed quarters remained untouched during the entire dry period, thus no dry cow secretion samples were taken from these quarters.