Good Shrimp, Bad Shrimp: Is Your Shrimp Free From Antibiotics? (Part 2)

Written By rynan technologies

Article written by Jillian Wong - RYNAN Technologies

This is the second of a two-part article that discusses how shrimp farming practices affect the shrimp industry and consumers. Here, we highlight the perils of antimicrobial resistance from excessive and inappropriate antibiotic usage in shrimp aquaculture and the impact on consumer health. Can we use antibiotics responsibly in Vietnam shrimp farming practices and ultimately reduce their use?

Take a look at Part 1 where we discuss the environmental impacts of shrimp aquaculture. (Read it here)

RYNAN Technologies - Shrimp getting injected

Who would have thought that the first naturally occurring antibiotic drug in the world was discovered by accident almost a century ago? 

It is apt to say that penicillin came from humble beginnings - on a petri dish, no less. Discovered by Sir Alexander Fleming, a lab technician who had often been described as careless, a mold had contaminated a petri dish of Staphylococcus bacteria that he had accidentally left uncovered. This mold inhibited the growth of staphylococci and led to the discovery of Penicillin, one of the world’s first antibiotics. 

 
RYNAN Aquaculture - Antibiotics in shrimp farming

Antibiotics: The Good, The Bad & The Unnecessary

Since the discovery of Penicillin in 1928, antibiotics have transformed modern medicine - saving lives and dramatically increasing life expectancy. 

Antibiotics are used not only on humans. Antibiotics are also widely used in livestock and aquaculture industries to prevent infection and as growth supplements. It is estimated that 73% of all antimicrobials sold globally are used in animals raised for food. Treating animals with antimicrobials is perceived to improve their health and produce higher yields and profitability.

The bad news is that their abuse has led to alarming rates of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). This happens when pathogens acquire new resistance mechanisms and no longer respond to medicines, making infections harder to treat and increasing the spread of diseases. 


What was once hailed as the ‘wonder drug’ to fight infections is now causing the rapid emergence of resistant bacteria. Over 1 million people a year die from infections due to antibiotic-resistant pathogens. It is estimated that 10 million people globally will die from resistant infections by 2050. AMR is now considered one of the biggest public health challenges to mankind and animals.

 
RYNAN Aquaculture - Shrimp aquaculture

Antibiotic Use In Shrimp Aquaculture

Most shrimp-producing areas are low and middle-income countries where farmers are trying hard to break out of the boom-and-bust cycle. For decades, antibiotics have been used in shrimp aquaculture for disease treatment, prevention, and even growth stimulation. 

In most of these shrimp-producing countries, antibiotic usage remains largely unregulated. Antibiotics are easily available and can be purchased over the counter without a veterinary prescription. As such, the quality of antibiotics gets compromised. To make matters worse, most farmers have no current alternatives to antibiotics to guarantee some form of harvest.

A study in Vietnam reported that 24% out of 360 shrimp farms from seven provinces were reported to use antibiotics. 83% of them utilized antibiotics to treat sick shrimps, while the rest used antibiotics for disease prevention. Many of these farmers rely on advice from fellow farmers, suppliers, or drug vendors and purchase antibiotics from ungoverned sources without veterinarian supervision. The trade of antibiotics without prescription has been identified as a key factor that is contributing to the increased antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in Vietnam. Clueless farmers add these antibiotics to shrimp feed with little understanding of their dosage, withdrawal time, and side effects.

As shrimp farming intensifies, the usage of antibiotics increases due to higher risks of susceptibility to diseases, such as Early Mortality Syndrome (EMS), which can wipe out entire harvests. Shrimp do not possess an adaptive immune system, relying only on their innate immune system to fight infections. This means that they will not develop long-term antibodies that can ward off future infections, making them more susceptible to pathogens. Their survival usually requires a greater need for antimicrobial treatments.

 

The Perils of AMR

RYNAN Aquaculture - Shrimp farms

Most shrimp farms in Vietnam are predominantly small-scale farms run by families, with workers living near shrimp ponds. Their livelihoods are so closely intertwined with aquaculture that the probability of cross-contamination via close contact is inevitable. For example, untreated waste from shrimp farms is often discharged into the local aqueous environment which becomes a reservoir of resistant antimicrobial pathogens. Farmers working in the ponds can come into direct contact with resistant bacteria (e.g. through a cut or skin abrasion). Resistant bacteria can also be transferred to humans from consuming affected shrimps. As resistant bacteria enter our gut and cause food-borne bacterial infections, antibiotics that were once effective on them may no longer work. Furthermore, resistance can also be transferred to other bacteria, such as those that cause common human ailments. This can hold serious health implications and even result in fatalities.

The inappropriate or excessive use of antibiotics in shrimp aquaculture can cause major risks to global AMR dissemination and the rapid spread of diseases. As a major shrimp producer exporting large quantities of shrimp to the world, the reputation of Vietnamese shrimp is at stake.

 

Vietnamese Shrimp Farmed with Antibiotics Risk Getting A Bad Reputation Overseas, and Domestically

The U.S. is the largest shrimp market for Vietnam, accounting for 20% of Vietnamese shrimp imports. Although a small number of countries permit the use of antibiotics in shrimp aquaculture, shrimp that are exported to the U.S. market are not allowed to be farmed with antibiotics. The use of antibiotics in Vietnamese farmed shrimp may lead to export bans and risk being rated as ‘Avoid’. Worse, while the good quality shrimp get exported, antibiotic-laden shrimp may be released into domestic markets.

Using Antibiotics Responsibly in Shrimp Aquaculture

Concerns surrounding the use of antibiotics in aquaculture are valid, but that doesn’t mean that antibiotics are bad. It is how they are used that is good or bad. Using antibiotics in the absence of a diagnosis is an irresponsible act. Antibiotics are valuable drugs and more awareness should be raised on how to administer them therapeutically in the least amount necessary. This entails identifying relevant stakeholders such as health and veterinary professionals, decision-makers, farmers, the media, and consumers; and developing guidelines on responsible antibiotic use, including disciplinary action to reduce their misuse in shrimp farming. 

Perhaps a better alternative to using antibiotics to manage diseases is to simply address the underlying causes of diseases that can threaten shrimp survival. Many such diseases are stress-related, making it easy for bacterial pathogens to attack immunity-weakened shrimps. Maintaining a clean and hygienic pond environment, and keeping water temperature and salinity levels consistent can relieve stress on shrimps. Such measures can put the pathogen burden under control and reduce the need for antibiotics.

RYNAN offers an integrated IOT Aquaculture Management System that helps farmers manage the early detection of diseases through Artificial Intelligence (AI) image capture, collection, and analysis of field data. Find out more about how we can help.

References: 

rynan technologies
Previous

Vietshrimp Expo 2023
Next

Good Shrimp, Bad Shrimp: How Shrimp Farming Practices Impact The Environment. (Part 1)