Pepi Milva, Focardi Silvano
Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Fano Marine Centre, Viale Adriatico 1-N, 61032 Fano, Italy.
Department of Environmental Sciences, Università di Siena, Via Mattioli, 4, 53100 Siena, Italy.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 May 26;18(11):5723. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18115723.
Aquaculture is the productive activity that will play a crucial role in the challenges of the millennium, such as the need for proteins that support humans and the respect for the environment. Aquaculture is an important economic activity in the Mediterranean basin. A great impact is presented, however, by aquaculture practices as they involve the use of antibiotics for treatment and prophylaxis. As a consequence of the use of antibiotics in aquaculture, antibiotic resistance is induced in the surrounding bacteria in the column water, sediment, and fish-associated bacterial strains. Through horizontal gene transfer, bacteria can diffuse antibiotic-resistance genes and mobile resistance genes further spreading genetic determinants. Once triggered, antibiotic resistance easily spreads among aquatic microbial communities and, from there, can reach human pathogenic bacteria, making vain the use of antibiotics for human health. Climate change claims a significant role in this context, as rising temperatures can affect cell physiology in bacteria in the same way as antibiotics, causing antibiotic resistance to begin with. The Mediterranean Sea represents a 'hot spot' in terms of climate change and aspects of antibiotic resistance in aquaculture in this area can be significantly amplified, thus increasing threats to human health. Practices must be adopted to counteract negative impacts on human health, with a reduction in the use of antibiotics as a pivotal point. In the meantime, it is necessary to act against climate change by reducing anthropogenic impacts, for example by reducing CO emissions into the atmosphere. The One Health type approach, which involves the intervention of different skills, such as veterinary, ecology, and medicine in compliance with the principles of sustainability, is necessary and strongly recommended to face these important challenges for human and animal health, and for environmental safety in the Mediterranean area.
水产养殖是一项生产活动,将在应对千年挑战中发挥关键作用,比如满足人类对蛋白质的需求以及保护环境。水产养殖在地中海盆地是一项重要的经济活动。然而,水产养殖实践带来了巨大影响,因为它们涉及使用抗生素进行治疗和预防。由于在水产养殖中使用抗生素,养殖水体、沉积物以及与鱼类相关的细菌菌株中的周围细菌会产生抗生素耐药性。通过水平基因转移,细菌可以扩散抗生素抗性基因和移动抗性基因,从而进一步传播遗传决定因素。一旦引发,抗生素耐药性很容易在水生微生物群落中传播,进而可能传播到人类病原菌,使抗生素在人类健康方面的使用变得徒劳。在这种情况下,气候变化起着重要作用,因为气温上升对细菌细胞生理的影响与抗生素类似,会首先导致抗生素耐药性的产生。地中海在气候变化方面是一个“热点地区”,该地区水产养殖中的抗生素耐药性问题可能会显著加剧,从而增加对人类健康的威胁。必须采取措施来抵消对人类健康的负面影响,减少抗生素的使用是关键所在。与此同时,有必要通过减少人为影响来应对气候变化,例如减少向大气中排放二氧化碳。涉及兽医、生态学和医学等不同专业技能按照可持续性原则进行干预的“同一健康”方法,对于应对地中海地区人类和动物健康以及环境安全方面的这些重大挑战是必要且强烈推荐的。