Heavy use of antibiotics in aquaculture: Emerging human and animal health problems – A review

Abstract

Antibiotics have been extensively and effectively used in aquaculture due to accelerated growth of aquaculture and this has resulted in the development of serious health problems in aquaculture, other animals, and human. The use of a wide variety of antibiotics in large amounts, including non-biodegradable antibiotics, ensures that they remain in the aquatic environment for a long time. This has resulted; the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the environments, an increase of antibiotic resistance in fish pathogens, transfer of these resistance determinants to bacteria and then land animals and finally become human pathogens along with alterations of the bacterial flora both in sediments and in the water column. Thus, the global efforts are needed to promote more judicious use of prophylactic antibiotics in aquaculture as accumulating evidence indicates that unrestricted use is detrimental to fish, terrestrial animals and human health.