Background: Massive animal production has been aided by medicinal products, especially antibiotics. Unfortunately, remnants of such drugs remain in animals’ tissues or are eliminated in their milk or eggs.
Objectives: This study aimed to highlight the hazards of antibiotic residues in milk and to assess the frequency rate of these residues in the milk of cows, sheep, and goats.
Methods: One hundred fifty samples (50 for each cow, sheep, and goats) were collected randomly from different farms and retail outlets in Erbil Governorate, from April 1 to June 30, 2024. The residues were detected using disc diffusion assay (DDA), well diffusion assay (WDA), Delvotest, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).
Results: The frequency of residues according to DDA, WDA, and Delvotest were as follow: 12%, 14%, 14% in cow milk; 10%, 14%, 14% in sheep milk; and 10%, 12%, 16% in goat milk, respectively. ELISA results showed that 29 samples of cow milk, 20 sheep milk, and 30 goat milk samples contained beta-lactam antibiotics. The antibiotic residues in milk samples from urban areas were higher (11.6% and 14.5%) than those from rural areas (9.9% and 12.3%). Temporal variations showed the highest antibiotic residue level in April (20.9%) and the lowest (8.9%) in June.
Conclusion: The frequency rate of antibiotic residues in cow, sheep, and goat milk samples collected from Erbil Governorate is high. It is crucial to promote awareness in the society concerning hazards of antibiotic residues in milk on public health.