In today's food landscape, the paramount focus is on ensuring food safety and hygiene. Recognizing the pivotal role of the environment and its management in safeguarding animal products, this study explores vancomycin resistance in raw milk from livestock farms in the Kurdistan province and its correlation with metal and heavy metal. One hundred and sixty raw milk samples were collected from various locations, with heavy metal concentrations analyzed using ICP-MS. Identification of Staphylococcus aureus and vancomycin resistance testing were conducted through culture and the Kirby-Bauer method. This study investigates the relationship between resistance and heavy metal levels, revealing that 8.75% of milk samples contained Staphylococcus aureus, with 28.58% exhibiting vancomycin resistance. Significant variations in arsenic, iron, zinc, sodium, and aluminum concentrations were observed between resistant and sensitive samples (p < 0.01). The increase in arsenic, iron, and aluminum, along with the decrease in zinc, demonstrated a significant association with vancomycin resistance (p < 0.001). Levels of lead, cadmium, mercury, zinc, and iron exceeded permissible limits (p < 0.05). The Target Hazard Quotient (THQ) for cadmium indicated a high non-carcinogenic risk, while the Target Risk (TR) for arsenic fell within the carcinogenic range. Accumulation of heavy metals has the potential to impact antibiotic resistance in milk, underscoring the imperative to control arsenic residues for national safety.
Keywords: Staphylococcus aureus; antibiotic resistance; raw milk; toxic heavy metals; vancomycin.