Antibiotic residues in farmed shrimp - a major hazard - Winter school on recent advances in diagnosis and management of diseases in mariculture, 7th to 27th November 2002, Course Manual

Even though use of antibiotics in aquaculture practice is unscientific, unwanted and harmful, antibiotics are being used for (i) therapeutic (ii) prophylactic and/or growth promoting purposes. Also, some manufactures are incorporating certain antibiotics in shrimp feed as a preservative. The devastating shrimp diseases like white spot syndrome disease and yellow head disease are caused by viruses. Antibiotics have no therapeutic value against viruses at all. Still many of our aquaculture farmers are dumping antibiotic formulations in their farms against viral diseases. Further, even bacterial diseases carmot be treated with antibiotics, since in the aquaculture environment, effectiveness of antibiotic therapy is not at all proved. The world over, use of antibiotics in aquaculture is banned. Still clandestine efforts are being made to practice its use