Studies on risk factors in dairy herds and their economic impact are available in countries with developed dairy production. This information is used to direct and prioritize procedures that improve herd health and avoid problems such as high total bacterial count and presence of antimicrobial residues in milk. In countries with developed dairy farming most herds are comprised of high-producing animals of specialized breeds and raised in total or partial confinement systems. In Brazil, there is diversity in the management of dairy herds, most of which are crossbred animals raised in partial confinement or pasture-based systems. In a study carried out with 175 dairy herds located in the Zona da Mata Region of the State of Minas Gerais, it was verified that the main system for the exploitation of dairy cattle herds was the semi-stable, followed by the system of pasture-based production and total confinement. In this study, it was also observed that approximately 70% of the herds had up to 30 lactating cows and produced up to 300 liters of milk per day. The identification of the risks associated with particular diseases is important, since it makes it possible to establish control and eradication programs. In these studies, statistical analyzes are used to estimate the degree of risk associated with exposure to risk factors. Bovine mastitis is a multifactorial disease and the identification of predisposing factors or risk factors related to animals and herds helps to improve knowledge about the epidemiology of the disease and to ameliorate control programs. In Brazil, there are many studies on mastitis and milk quality, but there is a shortage of research groups and studies on risk factors for this specific disease and for high total bacterial count and presence of antimicrobial residues in milk. The objective of this project was to propose measures for the enrichment of milk quality improvement programs in dairy herds of the dairy basin of the city of Santos Dumont, State of Minas Gerais, studying milk samples collected in community tanks, based on the identification and quantification of of risk factors for high somatic cell and total bacterial counts and the presence of antimicrobial residues in milk.