Introduction: Milk is one of the most commonly consumed food items globally owing to its excellent nutritional value for human health. It contains valuable proteins, diverse fats, and vitamins such as vitamin B12, riboflavin, and pantothenic acid. Important minerals are present in milk including calcium, magnesium, selenium, and phosphorus. Moreover, raw milk is processed for industrial purposes to produce a diverse dairy product such as cream, butter, cheese, and yogurt. In the last decades, massive animal production has been aided by medicinal products; especially, anti-infective drugs. Antimicrobial agents became a cornerstone in the field of animal industry, especially for three primary purposes: therapeutic, prophylactic, and growth enhancement for weight gain. Chemically, antimicrobial drugs are heterogeneous groups of bioactive small organic molecules naturally produced, at low concentrations, as secondary metabolites in microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi. These groups of drugs comprise antibiotics, antifungals, and antiprotozoals that either kill or suppress microbial pathogens. Unfortunately, remnants of such drugs remain in animals’ tissues or are eliminated in their milk or eggs. Lack of awareness among breeders and farmers regarding the withdrawal periods and health risks associated with residue contamination, especially in developing countries, is globally recognized. Additionally, failure to follow the instructions of antibiotics manufacturers also accounts for residue occurrence in milk. Objectives: The objectives of this study were to highlight the hazards of antibiotic reuses in milk, and to check the frequency rate of these residues in the milk of cows, sheep, and goats. Methods: One hundred fifty samples (150 for each cow, sheep, and goats) were collected randomly from different retail outlets in Erbil Governorate, Kurdistan Region, Iraq, from April 1st to June 30th, 2024. The residues were detected by using the following techniques: 1- Disc Diffusion Assay (DDA), 2- Well Diffusion Assay (WDA), 3- Delvotest, 4-ELISA Results: The frequency of residues according to DDA, WDA, and Delvotest are as follow:- in cow milk was 12.0%,14.0 %, and 14.0%, in sheep milk 10,0%,14.0%, and 14.0%, and goats milk 10.0%,12.0%, and 16.0%, respectively. ELISA results show those 29 samples of cow milk, 20 sheep milk, and 30 goat milk Have Beta Lactam. Our results confirmed that the antibiotic residues from urban areas according to DDA and WDA were higher (11.6%and 14.5%) than milk samples from rural areas (9.9% and 12.3%). Regarding the seasonal variations, April was found to be the highest (20.9%) in antibiotic residue levels, then in May (11.8%), while only (8.9%) in June. Conclusions: The occurrence of antibiotic residue in milk is one of the significant public health challenges for the community, and is one of the most important milk-borne hygienic issues globally. The frequency rate of antibiotic residues among cow, sheep, and goat milk samples collected from Erbil governorate is high. The antibiotic residues from urban areas were higher than those from milk samples from rural areas. Regarding the temporal variations between antibiotic residue occurrence and the period of study, a minor association between the increase in antibiotic residue prevalence and the progress of the spring-summer months. It is crucial to promote awareness in the society concerning hazards of antibiotic residues in milk on public health. Further studies inspecting the impact of heat processing, particularly the pasteurization process on the stability of antibiotic residues in milk is also recommended.
