Development of a model for a national animal health monitoring system 1. Epidemiological evaluation of factors influencing drug residues of milk in Gyeongnam area

동물(젖소) 건강 Monitoring system 모델 개발 1. 경남 지역에서 우유내 항생재 잔류에 영향을 미치는 인자에 대한 역학적 평가

A random study of 574 dairy farms in Gyeongnam area was designed to determine 1) management factors that may be associated with the occurrence of drug residues; 2) the dairy farmer's attitudes and knowledge about residues; 3) how these variables influence the occurrence of residues in dairy cattle. Management factors perceived as having the greatest influence on drug residues in milk were insufficient knowledge about withdrawal periods, errors due to hired help, insufficient identification and record of animals treated for mastitis, dry cow treatment for mastitis, and metritis treatment. Seventy-one percent of farms with residues problem used mixed own feeds compared with twenty-nine percent of farms with premedicated feeds. Factors significantly associated with the occurrence of residues were herd size, increased number of hired persons, increased frequency of use of mixed-own feeds, category of medicated feed, and producer's attitude toward the public health significance of residues. Our findings suggest that residue occurrence was mainly associated with errors due to hired help, insufficient knowledge about withdrawal periods, poor animal identification and records of treatment animals and use of medicated feeds. Any residue avodiance educational program needs to stress how to deal with these factors. This educational program should be directed to dairy farmers and employees, especially temporary employees. In addition, Dairy farmer's attitudes and knowledge about drug residues need to be improved. More evidence on the public healths significance of residues should be available to them. Because belife in importance of public healths concerns was related to successful residue avidance and because 81.3% of the dairy farmers with residue problem thought public healths concerns were less important than economic ones, it would be helpful to provide educational programs specifically directed to this issue. it may be useful to provide programs not only for the dairy farmers but also change of their concerns about on the public healths.