Chapter 4 - Antiparasitic agents

Abstract

The intensification of aquaculture production systems in recent years has been accompanied by increased parasitic infections resulting in significant losses in fish aquaculture requiring chemicals to control diseases. The conventional treatments are known to cause negative side effects, both for the environment and for human and animal health. Laws and regulations on the use of chemicals in aquaculture vary from country to country and serve to ensure the safe and effective use and protection of humans and the environment. But the dynamics of the environment diverge between different regions of the world. In this sense, we present the main ectoparasitic chemotherapeutants used in aquaculture, and encourage the use of alternative treatment methods including the use of active compounds from medicinal plants. Several plant extracts have shown in vitro effectiveness and a considerable number of them have already been experimentally tested and showed in vivo efficacy in the treatment of fish parasitic diseases, especially regarding monogenean ectoparasites.