Author
José Luis Balcázar
Other affiliations: University of Zaragoza, University of Malaya, Spanish National Research Council ...read more
Bio: José Luis Balcázar is an academic researcher from Catalan Institute for Water Research. The author has contributed to research in topics: Medicine & Biology. The author has an hindex of 47, co-authored 129 publications receiving 9159 citations. Previous affiliations of José Luis Balcázar include University of Zaragoza & University of Malaya.
Papers published on a yearly basis
Papers
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TL;DR: A widespread occurrence of antibiotics and ARGs in urban and hospital wastewater and how these effluents, even after treatment, contribute to the spread of these emerging pollutants in the aquatic environment is demonstrated.
1,131 citations
TL;DR: This review provides a summary of the use of probiotics for prevention of bacterial diseases in aquaculture, with a critical evaluation of results obtained to date.
1,042 citations
TL;DR: The innate immune mechanisms of protection against pathogens, in relation with the installation and composition of the normal endogenous microbiota in fish and its role on health are reviewed.
Abstract: Although fish immunology has progressed in the last few years, the contribution of the normal endogenous microbiota to the overall health status has been so far underestimated. In this context, the establishment of a normal or protective microbiota constitutes a key component to maintain good health, through competitive exclusion mechanisms, and has implications for the development and maturation of the immune system. The normal microbiota influences the innate immune system, which is of vital importance for the disease resistance of fish and is divided into physical barriers, humoral and cellular components. Innate humoral parameters include antimicrobial peptides, lysozyme, complement components, transferrin, pentraxins, lectins, antiproteases and natural antibodies, whereas nonspecific cytotoxic cells and phagocytes (monocytes/macrophages and neutrophils) constitute innate cellular immune effectors. Cytokines are an integral component of the adaptive and innate immune response, particularly IL-1β, interferon, tumor necrosis factor-α, transforming growth factor-β and several chemokines regulate innate immunity. This review covers the innate immune mechanisms of protection against pathogens, in relation with the installation and composition of the normal endogenous microbiota in fish and its role on health. Knowledge of such interaction may offer novel and useful means designing adequate therapeutic strategies for disease prevention and treatment.
598 citations
TL;DR: This review focuses primarily on the emergence and dissemination of antibiotics resistance in the aquatic environment, with a special emphasis on the role of antibiotic resistance genes.
481 citations
TL;DR: It is demonstrated that administration of B. subtilis strains, L10 and G1, can improve growth performance and disease resistance through an enhanced immune response in shrimp.
349 citations
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TL;DR: Understudied areas of emerging contaminant (EC) research in wastewaters and the environment are identified, and direction for future monitoring is recommended, and the fate and impact of ECs in all exposed environmental compartments are studied.
1,939 citations
Dresden University of Technology1, Catholic University of Portugal2, Centre national de la recherche scientifique3, University of Cyprus4, Agricultural Research Organization, Volcani Center5, Maynooth University6, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology7, Norwegian University of Life Sciences8, University of Lorraine9, Vienna University of Technology10, University of Turku11, University of Catania12, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology13, University of Tartu14, Cajal Institute15, Spanish National Research Council16
TL;DR: The main knowledge gaps, the future research needs and the policy and management options that should be prioritized to tackle antibiotic resistance in the environment are discussed.
Abstract: Antibiotic resistance is a threat to human and animal health worldwide, and key measures are required to reduce the risks posed by antibiotic resistance genes that occur in the environment. These measures include the identification of critical points of control, the development of reliable surveillance and risk assessment procedures, and the implementation of technological solutions that can prevent environmental contamination with antibiotic resistant bacteria and genes. In this Opinion article, we discuss the main knowledge gaps, the future research needs and the policy and management options that should be prioritized to tackle antibiotic resistance in the environment.
1,495 citations
TL;DR: A widespread occurrence of antibiotics and ARGs in urban and hospital wastewater and how these effluents, even after treatment, contribute to the spread of these emerging pollutants in the aquatic environment is demonstrated.
1,131 citations
TL;DR: This review provides a summary of the use of probiotics for prevention of bacterial diseases in aquaculture, with a critical evaluation of results obtained to date.
1,042 citations
TL;DR: The concept of the resistome is discussed, examples of HGT of clinically relevant ARGs are provided and an overview of the current knowledge of the contributions the various HGT mechanisms make to the spread of antibiotic resistance is presented.
Abstract: The emergence and spread of antibiotic resistance among pathogenic bacteria has been a rising problem for public health in recent decades. It is becoming increasingly recognized that not only antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) encountered in clinical pathogens are of relevance, but rather, all pathogenic, commensal as well as environmental bacteria-and also mobile genetic elements and bacteriophages-form a reservoir of ARGs (the resistome) from which pathogenic bacteria can acquire resistance via horizontal gene transfer (HGT). HGT has caused antibiotic resistance to spread from commensal and environmental species to pathogenic ones, as has been shown for some clinically important ARGs. Of the three canonical mechanisms of HGT, conjugation is thought to have the greatest influence on the dissemination of ARGs. While transformation and transduction are deemed less important, recent discoveries suggest their role may be larger than previously thought. Understanding the extent of the resistome and how its mobilization to pathogenic bacteria takes place is essential for efforts to control the dissemination of these genes. Here, we will discuss the concept of the resistome, provide examples of HGT of clinically relevant ARGs and present an overview of the current knowledge of the contributions the various HGT mechanisms make to the spread of antibiotic resistance.
996 citations