Biological Hazards in Fish Production: Legionella in Aquaculture and Fisheries: A Potential Occupational Exposure?

The increasing global demand for fish and fishery products has established fisheries and aquaculture as essential sectors for food security and economic development. However, the intensification of these activities may also increase exposure to biological hazards inherent to aquatic environments and production systems, raising concerns for food safety, occupational and public health. Among these hazards, pathogenic bacteria, associated with water, sediments, and aquatic organisms, are of particular concern. Environmental changes, including climate change and the expansion of aquaculture practices, may further promote the emergence and dissemination of these microorganisms. Within this context, Legionella spp. is recognized as a relevant waterborne pathogen due to its widespread occurrence in natural and artificial aquatic environments and its capacity to cause human disease, primarily through the inhalation of contaminated aerosols. Consequently, workers involved in aquaculture, fisheries, and fish-processing industries may represent a population potentially exposed to this microorganism. Although legionellosis is not considered a zoonosis associated with fish consumption, and no occupational cases linked to these sectors have been reported to date, the persistence of Legionella in aquatic environments highlights a plausible but insufficiently investigated exposure pathway. This narrative review synthesizes information from SciELO, Scopus, Google Scholar, and other relevant bibliographic sources on the biological and clinical characteristics of Legionella, available detection methods and prevention strategies. The aim is to examine the potential for occupational exposure within fish production systems and discuss its possible implications for worker health. By identifying hypothetical exposure scenarios and current knowledge gaps, this review seeks to support future research and contribute to the prevention and assessment of biological risks in the fisheries and aquaculture sectors, without assuming the existence of a demonstrated occupational hazard or an emerging public health problem.