More antibiotics than last year
According to a report produced by the National Fisheries Service (Sernapesca), usage of antimicrobials in the first nine months of this year can be itemized as follows: 0.7 tonnes of oxolinic acid, 0.6 tonnes of amoxicillin, 2.3 tonnes of erythromycin, 72.2 tonnes of florfenicol, 1.7 tonnes of flumequine and 77.5 tonnes of oxytetracycline.
The main explanation behind the usage of oxytetracycline is the Bacterial Kidney Disease (BKD) in Atlantic salmon and Rainbow trout, while florfenicol is mainly used with Atlantic salmon, Rainbow trout and Coho salmon, against Piscirickettsia salmonis (SRS).
The Chilean salmon industry had used 386 tonnes of antibiotics in 2007, 326 tonnes in 2008, 184 tonnes in 2009 and 143 tonnes in 2010. Meanwhile, the consumption of antibiotics compared to the tonnes of salmonids produced has been gradually decreasing from 0,06% in 2007 to 0,03% in 2010.
