Mosquito resistance to insecticides prompts search for new control methods

Researchers are seeking alternatives to chemical insecticides as Aedes mosquitoes, which carry diseases like dengue, develop increasing resistance to common treatments.

A study conducted in Dhaka and Chattogram by Jahangirnagar University and Japan’s Institute of Health Security found that five out of six tested insecticides were no longer effective. In some cases, up to 84 per cent of mosquitoes survived even after insecticide concentrations were increased tenfold. Malathion was the only chemical found to remain effective, killing 98 per cent of field samples within 24 hours.

In response to chemical dependency and resistance, scientists at The University of the West Indies, Cave Hill, are preparing to trial a lethal ovitrap in Barbados. This device mimics natural breeding sites to trap adult mosquitoes. Researchers are also monitoring the Wolbachia biological control approach, which has shown success in reducing dengue infections in overseas trials.