Atuação da assistência veterinária e conhecimento dos produtores rurais sobre antimicrobianos em Goiás, Brasil

Damila Batista Caetano Silva,Amanda Ferreira Cruz,Danilo Conrado Silva,Emmanuel Arnhold,Luiz Antônio Franco Da Silva,Paulo José Bastos Queiroz

doi:10.21708/avb.2020.14.4.9651

Abstract

The objective of this research was to evaluate the influence of veterinary care on milk production and quality variables in rural properties of Goiás. The objective was also to verify the farmers' knowledge on antimicrobials. A total of 132 farms were visited in the state of Goiás, where interviews were carried out in order to characterize the farm, the influence of veterinary assistance on productive and sanitary aspects, and the way antimicrobials were used. Pearson's chi-square test (χ2) was used to verify the dependency or independence of variables. It was verified that 55.3% of the farms had dairy production below 250 L per day. However, 60.2% of the total milk produced on the 132 farms visited came from only 15 farms (11.4%), with production above 1,000 L per day. Veterinary assistance was present in 56% of the farms and a significant association was identified between veterinary assistance and the variables: type of farm (p = 0.025), husbandry system (p = 0.015), number of milkings per day (p = 0.0007), daily production per cow (p = 0.0006), and antimicrobial prescription (p < 0.0001). The farmers know that milk with antimicrobial residues must be discarded; however, they do not do it properly. Farms with lower average daily production per cow showed higher use of antimicrobials on their own initiative (p = 0.02). With urgency, the expansion of technical assistance and training of farmers regarding milk production is required to prevent risks associated with public health in Goiás.

Highlights

Dairy cattle farming is one of the most important livestock activities in Brazil, positioning the country as the fifth largest milk producer worldwide (USDA, 2020)
Antimicrobial residues cause damage to the environment because they contaminate the soil when they are eliminated through milk, urine and/or feces, which can damage the quality of the microflora, microfauna and groundwater (BERRUGA et al, 2016; KEMPER, 2008)
This study presented a survey of data on milk production, schooling, veterinary technical assistance and use of antimicrobials in 132 dairy farms in the state of Goiás, Brazil

Summary

Introduction

Dairy cattle farming is one of the most important livestock activities in Brazil, positioning the country as the fifth largest milk producer worldwide (USDA, 2020). The volume of milk is fundamental for the profitability, the quality of this product is a growing concern of public health agencies, especially regarding antimicrobial residues (DU et al, 2019; WANG et al, 2017). The consumption of milk with antimicrobial residues is a public health problem, as it can cause allergic, toxic reactions and intestinal microbiota imbalances (BEM et al, 2019; MENKEM et al, 2019). There is growing concern in terms of bacterial resistance to antimicrobials, which can be accelerated by the presence of residues of these drugs in milk consumed by humans and other animals (MAYNOU; BACH; TERRÉ, 2017; MENKEM et al, 2019). Antimicrobial residues cause damage to the environment because they contaminate the soil when they are eliminated through milk, urine and/or feces, which can damage the quality of the microflora, microfauna and groundwater (BERRUGA et al, 2016; KEMPER, 2008)

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