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The emergence of antibiotic‐resistant bacteria (ARBs) and genes (ARGs) in aquaculture underscores the urgent need for alternative veterinary strategies to combat antimicrobial resistance (AMR). These measures are vital to reduce the likelihood of entering a post‐antibiotic era. Identifying environmentally friendly biotechnological solutions to prevent and treat bacterial diseases is crucial for the sustainability of aquaculture and for minimizing the use of antimicrobials, especially antibiotics. The development of probiotics with quorum‐quenching (QQ) capabilities presents a promising non‐antibiotic strategy for sustainable aquaculture. Recent research has demonstrated the effectiveness of QQ probiotics (QQPs) against a range of significant fish pathogens in aquaculture. QQ disrupts microbial communication (quorum sensing, QS) by inhibiting the production, replication, and detection of signalling molecules, thereby reducing bacterial virulence factors. With their targeted anti‐virulence approach, QQPs have substantial promise as a potential alternative to antibiotics. The application of QQPs in aquaculture, however, is still in its early stages and requires additional research. Key challenges include determining the optimal dosage and treatment regimens, understanding the long‐term effects, and integrating QQPs with other disease control methods in diverse aquaculture systems. This review scrutinizes the current literature on antibiotic usage, AMR prevalence in aquaculture, QQ mechanisms and the application of QQPs as a sustainable alternative to antibiotics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aquaculture is playing an increasingly important role in global food security, especially for low-income and food-deficit countries. The majority of aquaculture production occurs in freshwater earthen ponds and tilapia has quickly become one of the most widely adopted culture species in these systems. Tilapia are now farmed in over 140 countries facilitated by their ease of production, adaptability to a wide range of environmental conditions, fast growth, and high nutritional value. Typically, tilapia have been considered a hardy, disease resilient species; however, the disease is increasing with subsequent threats to the industry as their production is intensified. In this review, we discuss tilapia production, with a focus on Bangladesh as one of the top producing countries, and highlight the problems associated with disease and treatment approaches for them, including the misuse of antimicrobials. We address a key missing component in understanding health and disease processes for sustainable production in aquaculture, specifically the role played by the microbiome. Here we examine the importance of the microbiome in supporting health, focused on the symbiotic microbial community of the fish skin mucosal surface, the abiotic and biotic factors that influence the microbiome, and the shifts that are associated with diseased states. We also identify conserved taxa of skin microbiomes that may be used as indicators of health status for tilapia offering new opportunities to mitigate and manage the disease and optimize environmental growing conditions and farming practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nigeria is one of Africa's largest aquaculture producers with catfish and tilapia being dominantly farmed. However, the lack of biosecurity and an unclear aquatic animal health strategy have resulted in substantial disease-related production losses. This study aimed to better understand the existing biosecurity management practices and risk factors that could potentially lead to mortality in catfish production systems using Ogun and Delta States as study sites for a regional model. For this purpose, WorldFish and partners developed a Fish Epidemiology and Health Economics digital survey tool (version 1.13) to collect cross-sectional data from farms within the two states. Consenting farms were recruited from four Local Government Areas (LGAs) (Ijebu-Ode, Ikenne, Odogbolu and Shagamu) in Ogun State and five LGAs (Oshimili South, Udu, Ughelli North, Uvwie and Warri South) in Delta State, from which the data of 220 farms raising table-size catfish were analyzed. Descriptive statistics was used to classify findings by state identity and unusual level of mortality (abnormal losses with higher intensity or quantity) according to production systems, biosecurity measures, management practices, and other potential risk factors. Mixed model logistic regression was used to assess the association between high mortality occurrence and potential risk factors. No significant association between unusual farm mortality and state identity was detected (p = 0.314) but those were included as a random effect to account for them as a source of variation. Only 10.45% of farms experienced unusual fish mortality; however, those farms (n = 23) had higher baseline mortality (p = 0.015) at 15.08%, compared to 6.57% in farms without unusual mortality (n = 197). Only 14.55% of farms documented mortality on paper records, while other farms estimated losses from memory. Most farms (96.82%) did not implement biosecurity procedures at stocking. In that aspect, significantly more farms (p = 0.045) that introduced fish after main stocking reported unusual mortality (42.86%) compared to those that did not restock afterwards (9.39%). Farms using solely homemade feed had 5.1 and 18.2 times greater odds of unusual mortality compared to farms using only commercial feed and those depending on both commercial feed and other materials respectively (p = 0.049). Meanwhile, only 1.36% of farms reported using the services of a veterinarian. Findings from this study indicated plenty of room for biosecurity improvement in earthen pond systems rearing catfish in Ogun and Delta states. Risk factor analysis of industry data can inform the development of local biosecurity management plans and national aquatic health strategy guidelines for sustainable aquaculture. • Baseline survey on catfish farm practices in Nigeria linked with unusual mortality. • Biosecurity gaps revealed in farming systems producing market-sized catfish. • Contextualized digital survey tool for assessing epidemiology in fish farms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]