ISSUE FOCUS 44 FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE January 2024 microorganisms. This transfer jeopardizes the efficacy of antibiotics used in treating bacterial infections and poses risks to both the aquaculture industry and human health. Research indicates a significant prevalence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) and antibiotic-resistance genes (ARGs) in seafood, including marine fish, shrimp, and mussels. Investigations in mariculture farms revealed resistance in Vibrio parahaemolyticus isolates obtained from various seafood. The high resistance levels observed, particularly for methicillin and penicillin, reflect the global challenge of combating antimicrobial resistance in both clinical and environmental settings. The release of antibiotics into the environment has adverse consequences for the ecological system and human health. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains, resistant to methicillin and other β-lactam antibiotics, pose significant challenges in treating infections and have been reported worldwide. SHORT INSIGHTS FROM MY RESEARCH Here is my never-ending story of AMR. We always thought COVID was a threat but AMR is a close second one. This is about finding the one in the shrimp farms of Tamil Nadu. When I started to analyse the occurrence of this pattern, I got 85% positive samples which had shown resistance against commonly used antibiotics in aquaculture including ampicillin along with cephalothin, aztreonam and erythromycin. This means once the shrimp farmer applies the above-described antibiotics, neither the super organism will not get killed nor will the shrimps get better. To know them in a molecular level, I studied the genome of those resistant isolates. There Antimicrobial Resistant Genes (ARG) or r-genes are the group of genes responsible for the AMR in the molecular level. Imagine the AMR bacteria as Avengers team. Suppose the Ironman is resistant to penicillin, and he has penicillin resistance genes (beta lactamase resistant genes) in his genome. He will also be very good at sharing his gene by making copies to Captain America and in such a way these two guys will share and spread their resistant genes to the whole group and the group members while fighting for the world will pour their genes in the environment and during this process of busy globetrotting, those genes will mutate randomly and increase their spectra of resistance. This process is simply called as ‘Genetic Jugglery’. Beta lactamase gene (eg – blaTEM, blaSHV etc...) and macrolides (eg- erm C, erm B etc...) are 2 major genes that have shown this universal distribution with extended spectrum of resistance. This study shows positive for the blaTEM gene & ermB gene.
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