Oxytetracycline residues in beef in Gomba district, Uganda and farmers’ awareness of their effects on human health

@article{peter2026oxytetracycline,
  title = {{Oxytetracycline residues in beef in Gomba district, Uganda and farmers’ awareness of their effects on human health}},
  author = {Waiswa Peter and Siya Aggrey and Nanteza Anne and Nsubuga Kaddu S. Edward},
  journal = {Scientific Reports},
  year = {2026},
  month = nov,
  doi = {10.1038/s41598-026-77500-x},
  url = {https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-026-77500-x},
  note = {CC BY-NC-ND 4.0},
}

TY  - JOUR
TI  - Oxytetracycline residues in beef in Gomba district, Uganda and farmers’ awareness of their effects on human health
AU  - Waiswa Peter
AU  - Siya Aggrey
AU  - Nanteza Anne
AU  - Nsubuga Kaddu S. Edward
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/11/05
JO  - Scientific Reports
DO  - 10.1038/s41598-026-77500-x
UR  - https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-026-77500-x
AB  - Oxytetracycline is among the antibiotics most widely used to treat diseases in cattle. Its irrational use among cattle farmers has led to its residues ending up in the food chain. Information regarding the oxytetracycline residues in food in developing countries like Uganda is still scarce and this has put consumers at risk. This study determined the levels of oxytetracycline residues in beef within the Gomba district. Additionally, it assessed how aware local cattle farmers are regarding the health effects of these residues on humans. A cross-sectional study design involving qualitative and quantitative approaches was employed. The study involved interviewing 378 cattle farmers and analyzing 419 beef samples (muscle, liver and kidney) for oxytetracycline residues. The analysis was performed using Reversed-Phase High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (RP-HPLC) with a UV/VIS detector equipped with a quaternary pump and autosampler. Data on the awareness among cattle farmers regarding effects of oxytetracycline residues to human health was analyzed using STATA (Version 12). Levels of oxytetracycline residues in beef samples were expressed as mean ± Standard Deviation in MS Excel. Data from Focus Group Discussions about cattle farmers awareness regarding drug residues was analyzed using NVivo (version 14). Results from this study revealed a high prevalence of oxytetracycline residues in beef from the Gomba district, reaching 76.6% (321/419). Furthermore, 76.0% (244) of these positive samples exceeded the established regulatory thresholds. These findings violated the joint FAO/WHO Maximum Residue Limits (MRL) of 200, 600, and 1,200 µg/kg for muscle, liver, and kidney, respectively. The mean concentrations for beef samples were 881.9 ± 457.8 μg/kg for muscle, 1364.8 ± 1227.9 μg/kg for liver and 3470.2 ± 1910.2 μg/kg for kidney. The level of awareness among farmers on oxytetracycline residues was significantly associated with education level (p = 0.00003), the person who administers the drug (p = 0.000006) and gender (p = 0.026). The detected high oxytetracycline residue levels in beef were attributed to the irrational use of oxytetracycline by farmers. Therefore, there is a need to sensitize farmers on the effects of oxytetracycline residues on human health. Strict government regulation is necessary to prohibit the marketing and sale of beef products that exceed maximum veterinary drug residue limits.
SN  - 2045-2322
ER  -