Health Promotion and Disease Control in Aquaculture through Alternative Therapeutic Approaches

Abstract

Aquaculture is facing various threats from climate change, ecosystem deterioration, and disease outbreaks leading to decreased yield, food security and sustainability. Throughout the years, disease management in aquaculture has largely relied on the use of antibiotics and chemical treatments. However, the indiscriminate and excessive application of these chemicals has resulted in severe consequences, e.g. the spread of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria, disruption of metabolic processes in aquatic species, environmental degradation, accumulation of hazardous chemical residues in aquaculture products, and potential threat to human health. To ensure the sustainability of aquaculture, it is imperative to establish good aquaculture management and implement effective biosecurity measures. Moreover, effective alternative approaches should be simultaneously considered to enhance growth performance and control disease outbreaks in farmed aquatic species, which will lead to sustainable farming system management. This article reviews literature discussing viable alternative approaches applied in aquaculture, including phytotherapeutics, probiotics, bacteriophage therapy, and nanotherapeutics. These innovative approaches offer promising benefits in enhancing growth performance and disease control, while simultaneously promoting the sustainability of aquaculture industry. However, the practical application of these findings at farm level in aquaculture systems still requires further investigation, including legal and food safety regulations, cost-effectiveness, efficacy, potential ecological risks and harms, as well as user understanding and acceptance to ensure the safety, economic viability, and sustainability of aquaculture in Thailand.