title: Alternatives to antibiotics for the control of bacterial disease in aquaculture.
abstract: The wide and frequent use of antibiotics in aquaculture has resulted in the development and spread of antibiotic resistance. Because of the health risks associated with the use of antibiotics in animal production, there is a growing awareness that antibiotics should be used with more care. This is reflected in the recent implementation of more strict regulations on the prophylactic use of antibiotics and the presence of antibiotic residues in aquaculture products. For a sustainable further development of the aquaculture industry, novel strategies to control bacterial infections are needed. This review evaluates several alternative biocontrol measures that have emerged recently. Most of these methods are still in research phase; few have been tested in real aquaculture settings. It is important to further develop different strategies that could be combined or used in rotation in order to maximise the chance of successfully protecting the animals and to prevent resistance development.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Aquaculture & Artemia Reference Center, Ghent University, Rozier 44, B-9000 Gent, Belgium. Tom.Defoirdt@UGent.be
authors.forename: Tom
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Defoirdt
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sorgeloos
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bossier
mesh_terms: D000820:Animal Diseases / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017756:Aquaculture / Q000379:methods*; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000662:veterinary*; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial; D004363:Drug Utilization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010572:Pest Control, Biological / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents