Bacterial resistance to oxytetracycline in different life stages of Indian freshwater carp aquaculture system

Singh R.K.¹*, Singh A.K.², Rathore G.³, Singh V.⁴, Mani I.⁵, Mishra S.K.⁶, Mishra B.N.⁷, Verma O.P.^8
1Department of Biotechnology, IMS Engineering College, Ghaziabad
²Department of Molecular Biology and Genetic Engineering, Allahabad Agricultural Institute-Deemed University
³Division of Microbiology and Quarantine section, National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources
⁴Division of Microbiology and Quarantine section, National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources
⁵Division of Microbiology and Quarantine section, National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources
⁶Department of Biotechnology, IMS Engineering College, Ghaziabad
⁷Department of Biotechnology, Institute of Engineering and Technology
⁸Department of Molecular Biology and Genetic Engineering, Allahabad Agricultural Institute-Deemed University
* Corresponding Author : rksingh.iitr@hotmail.com

Received : -     Accepted : -     Published : 15-06-2009
Volume : 1     Issue : 1       Pages : 25 - 34
Int J Microbiol Res 1.1 (2009):25-34
DOI : http://dx.doi.org/10.9735/0975-5276.1.1.25-34

Keywords : Oxytetracycline; Bacteria; Antimicrobial resistance; Aquaculture system; Minimum inhibitory concentration
Conflict of Interest : None declared

In India antibiotics are frequently used for preventing and controlling bacterial pathogens in carp aquaculture system, yet no studies have been performed to evaluate the ecological impact of its intensive and prolonged use. In this work the frequency of oxytetracycline-resistant bacteria from water, palletized feed and different life stages of fish from Indian freshwater carp aquaculture system as well as the level of resistance of selected strains was investigated. Viable as well as antibiotic-resistant bacterial counts were performed by spread plate method in culture media supplemented with the oxytetracycline. Sixty two resistant Gram negative isolates which represented the oxytetracycline-resistant bacterial population, were randomly selected on nutrient agar supplemented with oxytetracycline (50μg/ml) from carp farms and feed pellet samples. Among these bacterial isolates Flavobacterium (21%), Alcaligenes (14.5%), Aeromonas (11%), Pseudomonas (10%) and Enterobacteriace (19%) were the most frequent. The Escherichia, Serratia, Citrobacter, Enterobacter, Shigella and Proteus from Enterobacteriace were recovered. Twelve isolates of oxytetracycline resistant bacteria were mainly dominated in adult fishes by the genus Flavobacterium (23%) and Enterobacteriace(41%). Selected strains exhibited high levels of oxytetracycline resistance with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) ranging from 50 to 600μg/ml.This study shows the presence of an important population of oxytetracycline-resistant bacteria in the microflora of Indian carp aquaculture farms. Therefore the environment of these farms might play important roles as reservoirs of bacteria carrying genetic determinants for high level tetracycline resistance, prompting an important risk to public health.

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