Introduction: Pharmaceutical drugs-antibiotics are given to livestock by veterinarians for the prevention or/and treatment of disease, but also as a stimulant for animal growth and conversion. Regardless of the way the drugs are inserted into the body of the animal, there will always be residual risk in milk which exceed the maximum level allowed. Thus, given that milk contains high level of drug residue, it can lead to health disorders in humans and in some cases even death. Aim of study: The main aim of this study is to discover the use of pharmaceutical drugs-antibiotics in dairy cows and to detect betalactam and sulfonamide residues in milk. Methods and materials used: In 2011, during the period January to August, 80% of dairy farms in the Republic of Kosovo were visited and 127 milk samples were collected from cows treated with pharmaceutical drugs-antibiotics. Samples were analysed ÿ'3fÿ'3fin the laboratories of the Veterinary Institute in Skopje using "Elissa" screening method and "HPLC" confirmatory method. Results: Of 127 samples of milk, 64 of them were contaminated with betalactam residues, while 24 with sulphonamide residues. Of them, the majority, 15 being beta-lactams and 4 sulphonamides. The study shows that over 70% of the total quantity of milk samples analysed contains residues of drugs, while over 20% of them have passed the maximum residue limit allowed. Conclusion: 70% of the drugs given to dairy cattle in Kosovo are pharmaceutical-antibiotics. Their residues are present in milk at levels high enough to cause severe damage to the entire public health. We conclude that pharmaceutical drugs-antibiotics that are used in humans should not be used in animals too and their provision should be limited to a reasonable and lawful level.

Introduction:The aim of the study is to assess the state of the use of antibiotics in dairy cattle in Kosovo according to different diagnosis as directed by treatment protocol and to evaluate the methods of their application in dairy cattle.Methods:We’ve visited over 80% of dairy farms throughout the territory of Kosovo in 2013. Assessment was carried out through a specific questionnaire, which identifies problems with medical treatment of cattle, the number of cattle treated and untreated, description of dose and type of drugs used, as well as the duration of drugs issuance.Results:In Kosovo for the treatment of sick cows are mainly used beta lactams and sulfonamides. The drugs were not given only to sick cattle by their diagnosis, but they were given to healthy cattle too, as a preventative therapy, mainly through intramuscular route.Conclusion:We conclude that the dairy cattle were not treated correctly as directed by the treatment protocol. In Kosovo’s general health system there are no rules and procedures on monitoring and recording the expenditures on antibiotics.

Objective: The aim of this study was to discover sulfa residues in milk and to determine the most appropriate time required for allowing the consumption of milk after drug's use in dairy cattle.Methods: 150 samples of raw milk were collected from 95% of dairy farms in Kosovo that were visited during years 2015-2016. At these farms, using a questionnaire, we have identified the treatment procedures of dairy cattle, the dose and the type of drug administered to them, as well as the duration of this administration. Then, ELISA screening method and High-Performance Liquid Chromatography with Fluorescence Detection (HPLC/FD) confirmatory method were used to analyse the collected samples.Results: Out of 150 milk samples, 52% were given a combination of 400 mg sulfadiazine+80 mg trimethoprim, with a statistically significant difference compared to other sulfonamides p<0.01. During the examination by ELISA method, 8 of them (5%) had exceeded the limit of detection, while during the examination by HPLC/FD method, 4 of them (2.5%) had exceeded the maximum residue limit allowed. In the first 4 d after the treatment has ended, the level of sulfonamide residues was high 141.5%, which is as high as their initial dose, with statistically significant linear trend p<0.01. Conclusion:This study demonstrates that in the collected raw milk there were sulfonamide residues, whose level has fallen following 4 d of treatment of the animal. It also shows the necessary time allowed for milk consumption. During this time milk must not be consumed in order to prevent the development of antibiotic resistance in the human population.