review · Antibiotics
Antibiotic resistance in aquaculture poses a critical global threat to animal, human, and environmental health, driven by widespread antibiotic use that promotes resistant bacteria and gene dissemination. A bibliometric review of research published between 2000 and 2025 shows a substantial rise in global scientific output, led predominantly by contributors in China, India, and the United States. Core research focuses on multidrug-resistant bacteria in aquatic ecosystems, resistant genes, and horizontal gene transfer mechanisms. Probiotics have emerged as a prominent alternative to traditional antibiotics, offering a pathway to mitigate resistance and improve sustainability in aquaculture systems. Addressing these ongoing challenges requires strengthened interdisciplinary collaboration, the development of novel antimicrobial substitutes, and robust international monitoring frameworks.
Unchecked antibiotic usage in aquaculture accelerates the spread of drug-resistant bacteria and resistance genes into the wider environment and human food chains. Identifying major research trajectories and emerging alternatives helps researchers and policymakers direct resources towards viable replacements, such as probiotics, while coordinating global monitoring efforts to safeguard both aquatic ecosystems and public health.
The findings highlight probiotics and novel antimicrobial alternatives as key focus areas for aquaculture health product developers and feed manufacturers. Because the underlying study is a bibliometric literature analysis, the commercialisation pathway for specific interventions remains early stage, requiring applied formulation and field testing to validate viable alternatives for commercial farm environments.
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Antibiotic resistance in aquaculture has emerged as a global crisis, representing a serious threat to the health of aquatic animals, environment, and human. The extensive use of antibiotics in aquaculture has led to rapid development of resistant bacterial strains, resulting in environmental contamination and the dissemination of resistant genes. Understanding of the research trends, key contributors, and thematic evolution of this field is essential for guiding future studies and policy interventions. The study aimed to conduct a bibliometric analysis of research on antibiotic resistance development in aquaculture, identifying key areas of research, leading contributors, emerging challenges, and alternative solutions. Data were extracted from the Web of Science (WoS) database covering the period from 2000 to 2025. A systematic search strategy was employed, utilizing terms including "antibiotic resistance" AND "bacteria," AND "aquaculture". Relevant publications were extracted from the WoS using these keywords. R-tool was then used to analyze the obtained metadata including keywords, citation patterns, and co-authored country. The analysis revealed a remarkable increase in publications over the past 25 years, with key contributions from China, India, and the USA. The most significant articles focused on the presence of multidrug resistant bacteria in the aquatic environments and, antibiotic-resistant genes, and horizontal gene transfer. Probiotics are the alternative solution to overcome the antibiotic resistance and enhance aquaculture sustainability. Future research should focus on the interdisciplinary collaboration, novel antimicrobial alternatives, and global monitoring approaches.
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DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics14060598
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