Fitness Cost of Sequential Selection with Deltamethrin in Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae).

In Mexico, Aedes aegypti (L.) is the primary dengue vector, chikungunya, and Zika viruses. The continued use of synthetic pyrethroids has led to the development of resistance in target populations, which has diminished the effectiveness of vector control programs. Resistance has been associated with disadvantages that affect the biological parameters of resistant mosquitoes compared to susceptible ones. In the present study, the disadvantages were evaluated by parameters related to survival and reproduction ('fitness cost') after selection with deltamethrin for five generations. The parameters analyzed were the length of the development cycle, sex ratio, survival, longevity, fecundity, egg viability, preoviposition, oviposition and postoviposition periods, and growth parameters. In the deltamethrin-selected strain, there was a decrease in the development cycle duration, the percentage of pupae, the oviposition period, and eggs viability. Although mean daily fecundity was not affected after the selection process, this, together with the decrease in the survival and fecundity levels by specific age, significantly affected the gross reproductive rate (GRR), net reproductive rate (Ro), and intrinsic growth rate (rm) of the group selected for five generations with deltamethrin compared to the group without selection. Identifying the 'cost' of resistance in biological fitness represents an advantage if it is desired to limit the spread of resistant populations since the fitness cost is the less likely that resistant individuals will spread in the population. This represents an important factor to consider in designing integrated vector management programs.

Multiplex PCR for simultaneous genotyping of kdr mutations V410L, V1016I and F1534C in Aedes aegypti (L.).

BACKGROUND: Knockdown resistance (kdr) is the main mechanism that confers resistance to pyrethroids and DDT. This is a product of non-synonymous mutations in the voltage-gated sodium channel (vgsc) gene, and these mutations produce a change of a single amino acid which reduces the affinity of the target site for the insecticide molecule. In Mexico, V410L, V1016I and F1534C mutations are common in pyrethroid-resistant Aedes aegypti (L.) populations. METHODS: A multiplex PCR was developed to detect the V410L, V1016I and F1534C mutations in Ae. aegypti. The validation of the technique was carried out by DNA sequencing using field populations previously characterized for the three mutations through allele-specific PCR (AS-PCR) and with different levels of genotypic frequencies. RESULTS: The standardized protocol for multiplex end-point PCR was highly effective in detecting 15 genotypes considering the three mutations V410L, V1106I and F1534C, in 12 field populations of Ae. aegypti from Mexico. A complete concordance with AS-PCR and DNA sequencing was found for the simultaneous detection of the three kdr mutations. CONCLUSIONS: Our diagnostic method is highly effective for the simultaneous detection of V410L, V1016I and F1534C, when they co-occur. This technique represents a viable alternative to complement and strengthen current monitoring and resistance management strategies against Ae. aegypti.