A Review of Reported Bacterial Diseases and Antibiotic Use in Tilapia Culture in the Philippines

Abstract

Aquaculture has become important to meet the demand for animal food both in local and international markets due to the increasing world population. Tilapias are one of the significant cultured species worldwide, in which the Philippines is one of the leading tilapia-producing countries. Tilapias are the second most preferred fish in the Philippines, constituting about 12% of its total aquaculture production in 2018. Cultivation of tilapias is a practice nationwide, mostly performed in fish ponds and cages in various environments. Despite being an almost hardy fish, the investigation of tilapias for bacterial infections also allowed us to follow the changing bacterial world. In this study, we have reviewed articles that previously reported bacterial diseases and the use of antibiotics in tilapia culture in the Philippines. Streptococcosis, Motile Aeromonas Septicemia, and Pseudomonas infection caused by Streptococcus agalactiae and S. iniae, Aeromonas hydrophila, and Pseudomonas fluorescens and P. aeruginosa, respectively, were the identified fish diseases. Chloramphenicol, ampicillin, tetracycline, and erythromycin were among the most commonly used antibiotics in tilapia culture.