Monitoring Antibiotic Use and Residue in Freshwater Aquaculture for Domestic Use in Vietnam.

Dang Kim Pham, Jacqueline Chu, Nga Thuy Do, François Brose, Guy Degand, Philippe Delahaut, Edwin De Pauw, Caroline Douny, Kinh Van Nguyen, Ton Dinh Vu, Marie-Louise Scippo, Heiman F L Wertheim

Index: Ecohealth 12 , 480-9, (2015)

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Abstract

Vietnam is an important producer of aquaculture products, and aquatic products are essential to the Vietnamese diet. However, Vietnam also has very little enforced regulation pertaining to antibiotic usage in domestic aquaculture, which raises concerns for antibiotic resistance in pathogenic bacteria. In this study, analysis was conducted on the presence of antibiotic residues in domestically sold fish and shrimp raised in freshwater farms in Vietnam, and an assessment of farmers' knowledge of proper antibiotics usage was performed. The results indicated that a quarter of tested aquaculture products were antibiotic screening test positive, and there is a general lack of knowledge about the purpose and proper usage of antibiotics by aquaculture producers. Farmers' decision-making processes about antimicrobial use are influenced by biased sources of information, such as drug manufacturers and sellers, and by financial incentives.