article · Aquaculture Research
Investigations into freshwater fish farms across three sites examined bacterial infections and antibiotic resistance in Nile tilapia and grey mullet. Virulent bacterial species, specifically Aeromonas hydrophila, Aeromonas veronii, Pseudomonas fluorescens, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, were identified in both fish species. Across sample groups of fifty tilapia and fifty mullet, Aeromonas hydrophila and Pseudomonas aeruginosa exhibited significantly higher rates of infection. Resistance genes protecting against sulphonamide and tetracycline were the most commonly detected. Fish sampled from the third site demonstrated severe liver tissue lesions alongside elevated tissue residues of heavy metals, including iron and zinc, compared to the other two locations. The severity of tissue damage corresponded to bacterial infection and heavy metal accumulation, and the presence of antibiotic resistance genes aligned with liver alterations, indicating that heavy metal pollution contributes to the emergence of resistant bacteria in farmed fish.
Antibiotic resistance in aquaculture threatens food safety, fish welfare, and the effectiveness of medical treatments. Identifying how environmental factors, such as heavy metal contamination from iron and zinc, drive the development and spread of resistant bacteria helps farm operators and environmental regulators design better monitoring strategies to protect aquatic stocks and prevent resistant pathogens from reaching human food supplies.
This early-stage research provides baseline epidemiological data that could inform diagnostic monitoring programmes or water management protocols for aquaculture operators and environmental regulators. It highlights the necessity of managing both heavy metal pollution and bacterial disease simultaneously. However, because the study focuses solely on identifying bacterial strains and environmental correlations, it does not demonstrate or validate a specific commercial product, diagnostic tool, or intervention strategy.
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The emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARBs) has become a threat to the aquatic industry. Virulent bacterial spp. namely Aeromonas hydrophila, A. veronii, Pseudomonas fluorescens and P. aeruginosa that were isolated from Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) and grey mullet (Mugil cephalus) were collected from freshwater fish farms at three different sites, and their associated antibiotic-resistant genes (ARBs) were further characterized. The ARGs for sulphonamide and tetracycline were the most prevalent ones. Out of 50 O. niloticus and 50 M. cephalus, A. hydrophila (16.5 ± 5.5 and 11 ± 1.0 respectively) and P. aeruginosa (16 ± 1.0 and 12.5 ± 2.5 respectively) had significantly higher infection rates. At site 3, O. niloticus and M. cephalus showed severe lesions in the hepatic tissues which had higher residues of iron (Fe, 1238.3–1250.0 µg/g) and zinc (Zn, 940.0–078.0 µg/g) compared with sites 1 and 2. The severity of hepatic tissue lesions was associated with bacterial infection and heavy metal residues, and also the presence of ARGs was associated with histopathological alterations of the hepatic tissues. It was concluded that ARGs (sulphonamide and tetracycline) could be developed in bacteria isolated from fish, which subjected to heavy metal pollution (Fe, Mn and Zn).
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DOI: 10.1111/are.15052
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