ANTIMICROBIAL RESIDUES AND FISH - BORNE ZOONOTIC TREMATODES (FZT) IN RAINBOW TROUT FARMING IN LAO CAI PROVINCE, VIETNAM

Abstract

The rainbow trout farming industry began to develop in Vietnam in 2004. Since then, this industry has grown rapidly and made a positive contribution to local economic development. The presence of parasitic flukes and residues of drugs and chemicals is quite common in aquaculture. In this study, we determined the residues of Chloramphenicol, furazolidone (AOZ), furaltadone (AMOZ), Ciprofloxacin, Oxytetracycline, Malachite green (MG), and Leucomalachite green (LMG), as well as fish-borne zoonotic trematodes (FZT) in farmed rainbow trout at several farms and restaurants in the three largest rainbow trout farming areas in Lao Cai province, including Ngu Chi Son, Lao Chai, and San Sa Ho communes, from 2019 to 2022. The results from 173 collected samples showed no detection of FZT metacercariae, AOZ, AMOZ, and Oxytetracycline residues in the fish meat. Chloramphenicol and Ciprofloxacin were detected only once in 2019, with levels of 0.33 and 1.84 µg/kg, respectively. The residues of LMG and MG significantly decreased from 2019 to 2022. The levels of MG and MLG in these four years were 304.6, 343.9, 0.49, and 3.94 µg/kg, respectively. These positive results were obtained through the dissemination and training activities in Lao Cai province under the frame of the ICI Project Phase III, funded by Finland. However, it is necessary to continue implementing appropriate measures to minimize the residues of prohibited substances in farmed rainbow trout meat.