EVALUATION OF MICROBIOLOGICAL TRAITS, ANTIBIOTIC RESIDUE AND FORMALDEHYDE RESIDUE BY TRACKING SEASONAL VARIATIONS IN A SELECTED FISH SPECIES COLLECTED FROM DIFFERENT FISH MARKETS IN PUNJAB, INDIA

Aquatic ecosystems reflect potential fish diseases through the prevalence of general contamination.Bacterial presence within fish typically manifests in three primary regions: the gills, intestines, and outer slime layer.The vulnerability of fish to bacterial contamination arises at various stages of handling, processing, and transportation [1].The degradation process in harvested fish initiates promptly following capture.Bacteria responsible for spoilage rapidly infiltrate the muscle tissue of fish.To mitigate the susceptibility to bacterial growth and ensuing spoilage, meticulous attention is