Abstract

Aquaculture is becoming an increasingly important source of fish available for human consumption. As the number of aquaculture facilities grows, so does the need to develop safe and effective drugs for treating fish diseases. In response to this, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) Office of Research (OR) has greatly expanded its commitment to aquaculture research.

Research at the facility will focus on both regulatory priorities and the needs of the aquaculture community. Species that will be studied initially include tilapia (Oreochromis sp.), rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar), channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus), large mouth bass (Micropterus salmoides), toadfish (Opsanus tau), and goldfish (Carassius auratus). All of these species, except goldfish, are currently raised or maintained for food purposes. Goldfish will serve as a model for ornamental fish and as a disease model.

Research objectives are designed to provide data to assist the Food and Drug Administration in assuring that fish derived from the aquaculture production environment are safe for human consumption. Priorities include studying the biodistribution, residue persistence, metabolism, efficacy, and environmental effects of drugs and other chemicals used in aquaculture. There will be a large effort to develop a rationale for crop grouping (grouping species for drug approvals based on similarities in anatomy, physiology, and drug metabolism). Other studies are designed to investigate the effect of drugs on the environment, non-target species, and the pathogens associated with aquatic species. Of increasing importance are studies designed to understand the development and transmission of antimicrobial resistance in both pathogens and environmental microbes.

CVM'S OR is collaborating with scientists conducting aquaculture-related research at the University of Maryland, Johns Hopkins University, Fort Detrick, and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. We are developing a research internship program at CVM for fourth-year veterinary students interested in aquaculture to expand veterinary involvement in fish medicine and research.