Chapter 7 - Control of fish diseases using antibiotics and other antimicrobial agents

Abstract

Fish farmers have adopted intensive aquaculture, especially in industrial-scale fish farms, for years to maximize production, but it has escalated the stress levels among farmed species, making them more susceptible to existing opportunistic pathogens. These would result in severe economic loss and reduced profitability of the aquaculture industry. Several antibiotics and antimicrobial agents have been used to prevent infectious diseases in aquaculture via prolonged immersion or by integrating them into the fish diet. However, the misuse of different antibiotics and other antimicrobial agents has promoted the emergence of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria while increasing the drug residues in fish, which has become one of the biggest problems in the aquaculture industry. This chapter discusses the underlying use of antibiotics and antimicrobial in fish disease treatment, particularly on the mechanisms and applications of the drugs in aquaculture. It highlights the roles and risks of antibiotics and other antimicrobial agents in controlling fish diseases.