Aquaculture – rearing aquatic organisms such as fish and shellfish – plays a vital role in food security in many countries (it supplies more than half of the aquatic animals consumed by humans worldwide).
Aquaculture – rearing aquatic organisms such as fish and shellfish – plays a vital role in food security in many countries (it supplies more than half of the aquatic animals consumed by humans worldwide). It is particularly important for developing countries, for instance in Asia, which accounts for 90% of global output. Fish farmers use large quantities of antimicrobials to treat or prevent disease on their farms. However, when used inappropriately, antimicrobials are ineffective and foster the development of resistant bacteria.
An index to assess the risks of antimicrobial resistance in aquaculture
Researchers from IRD and CIRAD belonging to the Institute of Evolution Sciences of Montpellier's Fish Diversity and Aquaculture team (DIVA, UMR ISEM) examined data from more than 400 scientific articles referring to over 10 000 bacteria of aquacultural origin from 40 countries. That meta-analysis allowed them to study the effect of temperature on the mortality rate of aquatic animals infected with pathogenic bacteria commonly found in aquaculture. They then conducted a systematic review on the abundance of resistant bacteria found on fish farms and calculated the Multi-Antibiotic Resistance (MAR) index for 40 countries.
Read more at The Research Institute for Development
Image: Map showing multi-antibiotic resistance worldwide. CREDIT: Miriam Reverter et al., Nature Communications.
