Problems of antibiotic resistance associated with oxytetracycline use in aquaculture: A review

Abstract

Aquaculture is one of the fastest-growing industries in the world which has led to the intensification of fish farming methods to meet the global demands of fish production. To prevent and treat diseases that occur in aquaculture, antibiotics are being widely applied especially in developing countries, to forestall bacterial infections resulting from sanitary shortcomings in fish rearing. Antibiotics are mixed with feed and feed ingredients and are fed to fish to enhance their growth and ultimately boost up production. Oxytetracycline (OTC) is a tetracycline broad-spectrum antibiotic being widely used in aquaculture as a therapeutic and prophylactic agent ever since it was first approved by USFDA for use in finfish aquaculture. The indiscriminate use of oxytetracycline has led to a lot of problems such as the emergence of antibiotic‐resistant bacteria in aquaculture environments which in turn transfer these resistance factors to bacteria of terrestrial animals and human pathogens. Moreover, it can also create problems for industrial health as antibiotic residues can get accumulated in fish meat and fish products. Residues of antibiotics also result in lowering the marketing and export value of aquaculture products. This review paper provides information on the rising problems of antibiotic resistance due to the indiscriminate use of oxytetracycline in aquaculture systems.