Impact of prophylactic antibiotic use in ornamental fish tanks on microbial communities and pathogen selection in carriage water in Hong Kong retail shops

Abstract

Antibiotics are routinely added to ornamental fish tanks for treating bacterial infection or as a prophylactic measure. However, the overuse or subtherapeutical application of antibiotics could potentially facilitate the selection of antibiotic resistance in bacteria, yet no studies have investigated antibiotic use in the retail ornamental fish sector and its impact on microbial communities. The present study analyzed the concentrations of twenty antibiotics in the carriage water (which also originates from fish tanks in retail shops) collected monthly from ten local ornamental fish shops over a duration of three months. The antibiotic concentrations were correlated with the sequenced microbial community composition, and the risk of resistance selection in bacteria was assessed. Results revealed that the detected concentrations of tetracyclines were the highest among samples, followed by fluoroquinolones and macrolides. The concentrations of oxytetracycline (44.3 to 2,262,064.2 ng L−1) detected across three months demonstrated a high risk for resistance selection at most of the sampled shops. Zoonotic pathogens (species of Rhodococcus, Legionella, and Citrobacter) were positively correlated with the concentrations of oxytetracycline, tetracycline, chlortetracycline, and enrofloxacin. This suggests that antibiotic use in retail shops may increase the likelihood of selecting for zoonotic pathogens. These findings shed light on the potential for ornamental fish retail shops to create a favorable environment for the selection of pathogens with antibiotics, thereby highlighting the urgent need for enhanced antibiotic stewardship within the industry.