Insecticide mixtures for mosquito net impregnation against malaria vectors

The bio-interactions between plants, insecticides and fertilizers: an innovative approach for the research of xenobiotic substances

In this experiment carried out on Caribbean chili pepper plants (Capsicum chinensis), the bio-insecticide azadirachtin in combination with an NPK fertilizer proved to have a greater lethal impact on the larvae of Aedes albopictus than each substance on its own. This synergistic effect is noticeably important when both inputs are sprayed directly on the leaves of the plant (foliar application). While the plants treated with azadirachtin or NPK alone cause a 33.6% and 36.4% mortality respectively of the Ae. albopictus larvae, the combination of the two inputs induces a 74.4% mortality on the mosquito larvae. To account for this synergistic effect phenomenon inside the plant, the azadirachtin + NPK combination most likely interacts with the capsaicinoid compounds naturally produced by the plant. Not only does this study carried out on azadirachtin reveal major results but the methodology itself offers a most interesting approach on how to boost the agricultural inputs within the plants. As a matter of fact, this research axis demands developing since the control of pests harmful to men has been dramatically lacking insecticide molecules acting on new targets over the past three decades.

Experimental Hut Trials Reveal That CYP6P9a/b P450 Alleles Are Reducing the Efficacy of Pyrethroid-Only Olyset Net against the Malaria Vector Anopheles funestus but PBO-Based Olyset Plus Net Remains Effective

Malaria remains a major public health concern in Africa. Metabolic resistance in major malaria vectors such as An. funestus is jeopardizing the effectiveness of long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) to control malaria. Here, we used experimental hut trials (EHTs) to investigate the impact of cytochrome P450-based resistance on the efficacy of PBO-based net (Olyset Plus) compared to a permethrin-only net (Olyset), revealing a greater loss of efficacy for the latter. EHT performed with progenies of F5 crossing between the An. funestus pyrethroid-resistant strain FUMOZ and the pyrethroid-susceptible strain FANG revealed that PBO-based nets (Olyset Plus) induced a significantly higher mortality rate (99.1%) than pyrethroid-only nets (Olyset) (56.7%) (p < 0.0001). The blood-feeding rate was higher in Olyset compared to Olyset Plus (11.6% vs. 5.6%; p = 0.013). Genotyping the CYP6P9a/b and the intergenic 6.5 kb structural variant (SV) resistance alleles showed that, for both nets, homozygote-resistant mosquitoes have a greater ability to blood-feed than the susceptible mosquitoes. Homozygote-resistant genotypes significantly survived more with Olyset after cone assays (e.g., CYP6P9a OR = 34.6; p < 0.0001) than homozygote-susceptible mosquitoes. A similar but lower correlation was seen with Olyset Plus (OR = 6.4; p < 0.001). Genotyping EHT samples confirmed that CYP6P9a/b and 6.5 kb_SV homozygote-resistant mosquitoes survive and blood-feed significantly better than homozygote-susceptible mosquitoes when exposed to Olyset. Our findings highlight the negative impact of P450-based resistance on pyrethroid-only nets, further supporting that PBO nets, such as Olyset Plus, are a better solution in areas of P450-mediated resistance to pyrethroids.

Plant extracts for developing mosquito larvicides: From laboratory to the field, with insights on the modes of action

In the last decades, major research efforts have been done to investigate the insecticidal activity of plant-based products against mosquitoes. This is a modern and timely challenge in parasitology, aimed to reduce the frequent overuse of synthetic pesticides boosting resistance development in mosquitoes and causing serious threats to human health and environment. This review covers the huge amount of literature available on plant extracts tested as mosquito larvicides, particularly aqueous and alcoholic ones, due to their easy formulation in water without using surfactants. We analysed results obtained on more than 400 plant species, outlining that 29 of them have outstanding larvicidal activity (i.e., LC₅₀ values below 10 ppm) against major vectors belonging to the genera Anopheles, Aedes and Culex, among others. Furthermore, synergistic and antagonistic effects between plant extracts and conventional pesticides, as well as among selected plant extracts are discussed. The efficacy of pure compounds isolated from the most effective plant extracts and - when available - their mechanism of action, as well as the impact on non-target species, is also covered. These belong to the following class of secondary metabolites: alkaloids, alkamides, sesquiterpenes, triterpenes, sterols, flavonoids, coumarins, anthraquinones, xanthones, acetogenonins and aliphatics. Their mode of action on mosquito larvae ranges from neurotoxic effects to inhibition of detoxificant enzymes and larval development and/or midugut damages. In the final section, current drawbacks as well as key challenges for future research, including technologies to synergize efficacy and improve stability - thus field performances - of the selected plant extracts, are outlined. Unfortunately, despite the huge amount of laboratory evidences about their efficacy, only a limited number of studies was aimed to validate their efficacy in the field, nor the epidemiological impact potentially arising from these vector control operations has been assessed. This strongly limits the development of commercial mosquito larvicides of botanical origin, at variance with plant-borne products developed in the latest decades to kill or repel other key arthropod species of medical and veterinary importance (e.g., ticks and lice), as well as mosquito adults. Further research on these issues is urgently needed.

Synergistic Effect of Fertilizer and Plant Material Combinations on the Development of Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) and Anopheles gambiae (Diptera: Culicidae) Mosquitoes

Chemical fertilizers are used everywhere, which often pollute the breeding sites of mosquitoes. In this laboratory study, the consequences on Aedes aegypti (L.) (Diptera: Culicidae) and Anopheles gambiae (Giles) (Diptera: Culicidae) of water-containing plant matter (PM) alone, or in association with an NPK type of fertilizer (PM+NPK), were evaluated. To obtain a 20% imaginal emergence of An. gambiae (IEt20), the bioassays carried out with PM have evidenced that its larvae need four times as much food as for Ae. aegypti larvae. The PM+NPK combinations significantly improve the survival rates of both mosquitoes multiplying the percentages of imaginal emergence by 1.7-3 (synergistic effect). The log-probit analysis of the adult emergence also reveals that the environments containing fertilizers accelerates by two to four times the development of the mosquito larvae.

Influence of the mixtures composed of slow-release insecticide formulations against Aedes aegypti mosquito larvae reared in pond water

Vector borne diseases remain the major source of illness and death worldwide. Aedes aegypti is the primary carrier of dengue and dengue haemorrhagic fever in many developing countries in the tropical world. Because A. aegypti populations are becoming more and more resistant to conventional and non conventional insecticides, alternative strategies have to be rapidly implemented in the future for dengue vector control. The present study aimed to evaluate the larvicidal efficacy of slow-release formulations (SRFs) of bacterial insecticide Bactimos briquets blended with tow insect growth regulators (IGRs), Altosid XR - briquets and Dudim DT tablet respectively, against mosquito larvae of A. aegypti the primary vector of dengue fever in Jeddah governorate, Saudi Arabia. Semi-field trials were conducted at dengue mosquito research station, Dept. of Biological Sciences, faculty of Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The efficacy of the test formulations was calculated as the number of emerging adults compared to the initial number of larvae added or the inhibition of emergence (IE%). The assessment of effectiveness was made at weekly intervals until the level of efficacy decrease to ≤50% IE. The inhibition percentage of emergence of adult for each mixture weekly in addition to the calculation of the cycle of the effective centers for each mixture. Collectively, the results of the present investigation indicate that the combination of Bactimos with Altosid or Dudim maybe promising for controlling A. aegypti mosquito larvae provided that treatments persist at least during the whole dengue transmission season.

Efficacy of Olyset® Plus, a new long-lasting insecticidal net incorporating permethrin and piperonyl-butoxide against multi-resistant malaria vectors [corrected]

Due to the rapid extension of pyrethroid resistance in malaria vectors worldwide, manufacturers are developing new vector control tools including insecticide mixtures containing at least two active ingredients with different mode of action as part of insecticide resistance management. Olyset® Plus is a new long-lasting insecticidal net (LLIN) incorporating permethrin and a synergist, piperonyl butoxide (PBO), into its fibres in order to counteract metabolic-based pyrethroid resistance of mosquitoes. In this study, we evaluated the efficacy of Olyset® Plus both in laboratory and field against susceptible and multi-resistant malaria vectors and compared with Olyset Net, which is a permethrin incorporated into polyethylene net. In laboratory, Olyset® Plus performed better than Olyset® Net against susceptible Anopheles gambiae strain with a 2-day regeneration time owing to an improved permethrin bleeding rate with the new incorporation technology. It also performed better than Olyset® Net against multiple resistant populations of An. gambiae in experimental hut trials in West Africa. Moreover, the present study showed evidence for a benefit of incorporating a synergist, PBO, with a pyrethroid insecticide into mosquito netting. These results need to be further validated in a large-scale field trial to assess the durability and acceptability of this new tool for malaria vector control.

Efficacy of pyriproxyfen-treated nets in sterilizing and shortening the longevity of Anopheles gambiae (Diptera: Culicidae)

Pyrethroid-resistant malaria vectors have become a serious threat for malaria control, and bed nets that reduce the development of resistance are urgently needed. Here, we tested the effects of bed nets treated with the insect growth regulator pyriproxyfen against adult female Anopheles gambiae Giles (Diptera: Culicidae) under laboratory conditions. Noninsecticidal nets made of 195 denier monofilament polyethylene with a mesh size of 75 holes per square inch (equivalent to the Olyset Net) were dipped in a 0.1, 0.01, or 0.001% (wt:vol) alcohol solution of pyriproxyfen and dried overnight. Adult females of an insecticide-susceptible An. gambiae strain were exposed to treated and untreated nets before and after a bloodmeal. Bioassays showed that females were completely sterilized after exposure to 0.1% (35 mg [AI]/m2) and 0.01% pyriproxyfen-treated nets both before and after a bloodmeal. In addition, adult longevity decreased after exposure to the pyriproxyfen-treated nets in a concentration-dependent manner. The sterilizing and life-shortening effects of pyriproxyfen on the vector mosquito indicate that the combined use of pyriproxyfen and pyrethroids on bed nets has the potential to provide better malaria control and prevent the further development of pyrethroid resistance in malaria vectors.

Combining piperonyl butoxide and dinotefuran restores the efficacy of deltamethrin mosquito nets against resistant Anopheles gambiae (Diptera: Culicidae)

One strategy suggested for the management of mosquito insecticide resistance consists of combining a pyrethroid with an insecticide that has a different mode of action. To restore the efficacy of deltamethrin (pyrethroid) against pyrethroid-resistant strain of Anopheles gambiae Giles (VKPR: homozygous Kdr), deltamethrin was combined with the neonicotinoid insecticide dinotefuran and piperonyl butoxide (PBO). Bednets impregnated with deltamethrin, dinotefuran, and PBO alone and in combination were tested in the laboratory. Knockdown (KD) and mortality were measured using WHO cone tests on susceptible and pyrethroid-resistant adult mosquitoes. The combination of deltamethrin and PBO was synergistic against resistant female An. gambiae (58.2% mortality). Both mortality and knockdown time (KDt(50/95) values) of the tricomponent mixture on the VKPR strain were similar to the insecticidal activity of deltamethrin on the pyrethroid-susceptible KIS strain (98.8 and 100% mortality, respectively). The three-compound mixture of deltamethrin + PBO + dinotefuran showed an insecticidal efficacy greater than the deltamethrin + PBO mixture to the extent of completely restoring the efficacy of deltamethrin on pyrethroid-resistant An. gambiae.

Managing insecticide resistance in malaria vectors by combining carbamate-treated plastic wall sheeting and pyrethroid-treated bed nets

Background

Pyrethroid resistance is now widespread in Anopheles gambiae, the major vector for malaria in sub-Saharan Africa. This resistance may compromise malaria vector control strategies that are currently in use in endemic areas. In this context, a new tool for management of resistant mosquitoes based on the combination of a pyrethroid-treated bed net and carbamate-treated plastic sheeting was developed.

Methods

In the laboratory, the insecticidal activity and wash resistance of four carbamate-treated materials: a cotton/polyester blend, a polyvinyl chloride tarpaulin, a cotton/polyester blend covered on one side with polyurethane, and a mesh of polypropylene fibres was tested. These materials were treated with bendiocarb at 100 mg/m² and 200 mg/m² with and without a binding resin to find the best combination for field studies. Secondly, experimental hut trials were performed in southern Benin to test the efficacy of the combined use of a pyrethroid-treated bed net and the carbamate-treated material that was the most wash-resistant against wild populations of pyrethroid-resistant An. gambiae and Culex quinquefasciatus.

Results

Material made of polypropylene mesh (PPW) provided the best wash resistance (up to 10 washes), regardless of the insecticide dose, the type of washing, or the presence or absence of the binding resin. The experimental hut trial showed that the combination of carbamate-treated PPW and a pyrethroid-treated bed net was extremely effective in terms of mortality and inhibition of blood feeding of pyrethroid-resistant An. gambiae. This efficacy was found to be proportional to the total surface of the walls. This combination showed a moderate effect against wild populations of Cx. quinquefasciatus, which were strongly resistant to pyrethroid.

Conclusion

These preliminary results should be confirmed, including evaluation of entomological, parasitological, and clinical parameters. Selective pressure on resistance mechanisms within the vector population, effects on other pest insects, and the acceptability of this management strategy in the community also need to be evaluated.

Synergism studies with binary mixtures of pyrethroid, carbamate and organophosphate insecticides on Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande)

The major mechanism of resistance to most insecticides in Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande) is metabolic, piperonyl butoxide (PBO) suppressible, mediated by cytochrome-P450 monooxygenases and conferring cross-resistance among insecticide classes. The efficacy of insecticide mixtures of acrinathrin, methiocarb, formetanate and chlorpyrifos was studied by topical exposure in strains of F. occidentalis selected for resistance to each insecticide. The method consisted in combining increasing concentrations of one insecticide with a constant low rate of the second one as synergist. Acrinathrin activity against F. occidentalis was enhanced by carbamate insecticides, methiocarb being a much better synergist than formetanate. Monooxygenase action on the carbamates would prevent degradation of the pyrethroid, hence providing a level of synergism by competitive substrate inhibition. However, the number of insecticides registered for control of F. occidentalis is very limited, and they are needed for antiresistance strategies such as mosaics and rotations. Therefore, a study was made of the synergist effect of other carbamates not used against thrips, such as carbofuran and carbosulfan, against a susceptible strain and a field strain. Neither carbamate showed synergism to acrinathrin in the susceptible strain, but both did in the field strain, carbosulfan being a better synergist than carbofuran. The data obtained indicate that low rates of carbamates could be used as synergists to restore some pyrethroid susceptibility in F. occidentalis.

Laboratory evaluation of pyriproxyfen and spinosad, alone and in combination, against Aedes aegypti larvae

In this study, the efficacy of pyriproxyfen and spinosad, alone and in combination, was evaluated against the dengue vector Aedes aegypti (L.). Larval bioassays were carried out on susceptible mosquito larvae to determine the concentration-mortality responses of mosquitoes exposed to each insecticide alone and in mixture. Synergism between pyriproxyfen and spinosad was determined by the calculation of a combination index (CI) by using the isobologram method. For pyriproxyfen, LC50 and LC95 were 1.1 x 10(-4) (1.0 x 10(-4)-1.1 x 10(-4)) and 3.2 x 10(-4) (2.9 x 10(-4)-3.6 x 10(-4)) mg/liter, respectively. Pyriproxyfen acted at very low concentrations by inhibiting the adult emergence of Ae. aegypti (97% inhibition rates at 3.3 x 10(-4) mg/liter). Spinosad activity was -500 times lower than that of pyriproxyfen against the Bora strain, with LC50 and LC95 values estimated at 0.055 (0.047-0.064) and 0.20 (0.15-0.27) mg/liter, respectively. A binary mixture of pyriproxyfen and spinosad was realized at the ratio 1:500 by considering the values of the LC50 obtained for each product. The LC50 and LC95 of the mixture were 0.019 (0.016 - 0.022) and 0.050 (0.040 - 0.065) mg/liter, respectively. The mixture combined both the larvicidal activity of spinosad and the juvenoid action of pyriproxyfen. From the LC70 to LC99 a significant synergism effect was observed between the two insecticides (CI ranged from 0.74 to 0.31). This strong synergism observed at high concentrations allows a reduction by five and nine-fold of pyriproxyfen and spinosad amounts to kill almost 100% mosquitoes. Combination of pyriproxyfen and spinosad may then represent a promising strategy to improve mosquito control in situations with insecticide-resistant Aedes dengue vectors.

The effect of a synergistic concentration of a Piper nigrum extract used in conjunction with pyrethrum upon gene expression in Drosophila melanogaster

An ethyl acetate extract of Piper nigrum L. (Piperaceae) peppercorns was tested as a synergist for the botanical insecticide pyrethrum. A high synergist ratio of 11.6 against Drosophila melanogaster was obtained for the combination of pyrethrum supplemented with P. nigrum. The effect of this combination was investigated using cDNA microarray analysis of gene expression profiles in D. melanogaster. Treatment of D. melanogaster with pyrethrum alone resulted in a large number of differentially expressed genes, principally associated with stress responses. Seven genes were identified as being commonly expressed in D. melanogaster treated with at least two of the following treatments: P. nigrum, pyrethrum or P. nigrum plus pyrethrum. These are likely implicated in Drosophila defence responses to toxins.

Experimental hut evaluation of bednets treated with an organophosphate (chlorpyrifos-methyl) or a pyrethroid (lambdacyhalothrin) alone and in combination against insecticide-resistant Anopheles gambiae and Culex quinquefasciatus mosquitoes

BACKGROUND

Pyrethroid resistant mosquitoes are becoming increasingly common in parts of Africa. It is important to identify alternative insecticides which, if necessary, could be used to replace or supplement the pyrethroids for use on treated nets. Certain compounds of an earlier generation of insecticides, the organophosphates may have potential as net treatments.

METHODS

Comparative studies of chlorpyrifos-methyl (CM), an organophosphate with low mammalian toxicity, and lambdacyhalothrin (L), a pyrethroid, were conducted in experimental huts in Côte d'Ivoire, West Africa. Anopheles gambiae and Culex quinquefasciatus mosquitoes from the area are resistant to pyrethroids and organophosphates (kdr and insensitive acetylcholinesterase Ace.1R). Several treatments and application rates on intact or holed nets were evaluated, including single treatments, mixtures, and differential wall/ceiling treatments.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSION

All of the treatments were effective in reducing blood feeding from sleepers under the nets and in killing both species of mosquito, despite the presence of the kdr and Ace.1R genes at high frequency. In most cases, the effects of the various treatments did not differ significantly. Five washes of the nets in soap solution did not reduce the impact of the insecticides on A. gambiae mortality, but did lead to an increase in blood feeding. The three combinations performed no differently from the single insecticide treatments, but the low dose mixture performed encouragingly well indicating that such combinations might be used for controlling insecticide resistant mosquitoes. Mortality of mosquitoes that carried both Ace.1R and Ace.1S genes did not differ significantly from mosquitoes that carried only Ace.1S genes on any of the treated nets, indicating that the Ace.1R allele does not confer effective resistance to chlorpyrifos-methyl under the realistic conditions of an experimental hut.

Dosage-dependent effects of permethrin-treated nets on the behaviour of Anopheles gambiae and the selection of pyrethroid resistance

Background

The evolution and spread of pyrethroid resistance in Anopheles gambiae s.s, the major malaria vector in sub-Saharan Africa, is of great concern owing to the importance of pyrethroid-treated nets in the WHO global strategy for malaria control. The impact of kdr (the main pyrethroid-resistance mechanism) on the behaviour of An. gambiae is not well understood. The objective of this study was to determine whether high or low doses of permethrin differ in their resistance-selection effects.

Methods

The effect of permethrin treatment was assessed under laboratory conditions using the tunnel test technique against susceptible, heterozygous and homozygous genotypes. Experimental huts trials were then carried out in Benin to assess the level of personal protection conferred by nets treated with a variety of permethrin concentrations and their impact on the selection for kdr allele.

Results

Tunnel tests showed that nets treated with permethrin at 250 and 500 mg/m² induced higher mortality and blood feeding reduction among susceptible and heterozygous (RS) females as compared to the lower concentration (100 mg/m²). The experimental hut trials showed that the best personal protection was achieved with the highest permethrin concentration (1,000 mg/m²). Mosquito genotyping revealed a non-linear relationship in the survival of kdr susceptible and resistant genotypes with permethrin dosage. Higher dosages (≥250 mg/m²) killed more efficiently the RS genotypes than did lower dosages (50 and 100 mg/m²).

Conclusion

This study showed that nets treated with high permethrin concentrations provided better blood feeding prevention against pyrethroid-resistant An. gambiae than did lower concentrations. Permethrin-treated nets seem unlikely to select for pyrethroid resistance in areas where the kdr mutation is rare and present mainly in heterozygous form.

Efficacy of insecticide mixtures against larvae of Culex quinquefasciatus (Say) (Diptera: Culicidae) resistant to pyrethroids and carbamates

The efficacy of insecticide mixtures of permethrin (pyrethroid) and propoxur (carbamate) was tested by larval bioassays on two strains of Culex quinquefasciatus (Say), one resistant to pyrethroids and the other resistant to carbamates. The method consisted in combining one insecticide at the highest concentration causing no mortality (LC0) with increasing concentrations of the second one. The concentration-mortality regression lines were determined for permethrin and propoxur alone and in combination, and synergism ratios (SR) were calculated in order to determine the magnitude of an increase or decrease in efficacy with use of the mixtures. With the pyrethroid-resistant strain (BK-PER), the results showed that propoxur at LC0 significantly enhanced the insecticidal activity of permethrin (SR50 = 1.54), especially on the upper range of the concentration-mortality regression. Conversely, when permethrin at LC0 was tested with propoxur against the carbamate resistant strain (R-LAB), an antagonistic effect was observed (SR50 = 0.67). With the BK-PER strain, an increased oxidative detoxification (MFO) appeared to be the main mechanism responsible for the synergistic interaction. Nevertheless, antagonism in the R-LAB strain is probably due to a physiological perturbation implying different target sites for pyrethroid (ie sodium channel) and carbamate insecticides [ie acetylcholinesterase (EC 3.3.3.7) and choline acetyltransferase (EC 2.3.1.6)].

Efficacy of mosquito nets treated with insecticide mixtures or mosaics against insecticide resistant Anopheles gambiae and Culex quinquefasciatus (Diptera: Culicidae) in Côte d'Ivoire

Only pyrethroid insecticides have so far been recommended for the treatment of mosquito nets for malaria control. Increasing resistance of malaria vectors to pyrethroids threatens to reduce the potency of this important method of vector control. Among the strategies proposed for resistance management is to use a pyrethroid and a non-pyrethroid insecticide in combination on the same mosquito net, either separately or as a mixture. Mixtures are particularly promising if there is potentiation between the two insecticides as this would make it possible to lower the dosage of each, as has been demonstrated under laboratory conditions for a mixture of bifenthrin (pyrethroid) and carbosulfan (carbamate). The effect of these types of treatment were compared in experimental huts on wild populations of Anopheles gambiae Giles and the nuisance mosquito Culex quinquefasciatus Say, both of which are multi-resistant. Four treatments were evaluated in experimental huts over six months: the recommended dosage of 50 mg m(-2) bifenthrin, 300 mg m(-2) carbosulfan, a mosaic of 300 mg m(-2) carbosulfan on the ceiling and 50 mg m(-2) bifenthrin on the sides, and a mixture of 6.25 mg m(-2) carbosulfan and 25 mg m(-2) bifenthrin. The mixture and mosaic treatments did not differ significantly in effectiveness from carbosulfan and bifenthrin alone against anophelines in terms of deterrency, induced exophily, blood feeding inhibition and overall mortality, but were more effective than in earlier tests with deltamethrin. These results are considered encouraging, as the combination of different classes of insecticides might be a potential tool for resistance management. The mixture might have an advantage in terms of lower cost and toxicity.

Evidence for selection of insecticide resistance due to insensitive acetylcholinesterase by carbamate-treated nets in Anopheles gambiae s.s. (Diptera: Culicidae) from Côte d'Ivoire

Pyrethroid-treated nets are an efficient tool for reducing malaria transmission and morbidity. The recent evolution of pyrethroid resistance in several Anopheles species represents a major threat for the future success of roll back malaria in Africa. The possible use of nonpyrethroid insecticides, such as carbamates, on nets is a promising alternative solution because these insecticides are effective against susceptible and pyrethroid-resistant populations of Anopheles and Culex mosquitoes. Unfortunately, carbamate resistance as a result of insensitive acetylcholinesterase has recently been detected in Anopheles gambiae s.s. populations from Côte d'Ivoire. Using biochemical assays on surviving Anopheles mosquitoes from an experimental hut trial, we showed evidence for selection for an insensitive acetylcholinesterase mechanism by carbamate impregnated bednets. However, no such selection has been found with nets treated with pyrethroid alone or pyrethroid/carbamate "two-in-one" -treated nets. Because pyrethroid-impregnated nets were suspected to select for the Kdr mutation in An. gambiae, we propose that use of two-in-one nets could be a promising alternative strategy for the management of insecticide resistance in malaria vectors.

Synergism between permethrin and propoxur against Culex quinquefasciatus mosquito larvae

To see if synergism occurs between carbamate and pyrethroid insecticides, we tested permethrin and propoxur as representatives of these two classes of compounds used for mosquito control. Larvicidal activity of both insecticides was assessed separately and together on a susceptible strain of the mosquito Culex quinquefasciatus (Diptera: Culicidae) by two methods. When mixed at a constant ratio (permethrin : propoxur 1 : 60 based on LC50) and tested at serial concentrations to plot dose/mortality regression, significant synergy occurred between them (co-toxicity coefficient = 2.2), not just an additive effect. For example, when the mixture gave 50% mortality, the same concentrations of permethrin and propoxur alone would have given merely 2 x 1% mortality. When a sublethal dose (LC0) of permethrin or propoxur was added to the other (range LC10-LC95), synergism occurred up to the LC80 level. Synergistic effects were attributed to the complementary modes of action by these two insecticide classes acting on different components of nerve impulse transmission. Apart from raising new possibilities for Culex control, it seems appropriate to consider using such mixtures or combinations for insecticide-treated mosquito nets in situations with insecticide-resistant Anopheles malaria vectors.