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Updated: Oct 19, 2025
Protocols for Testing the Toxicity of Novel Insecticidal Chemistries to Mosquitoes
Published on: February 13, 2019
Knockdown times in a simple assay determination of insecticide resistance in malaria vectors
Jacques D Charlwood1, Ayubo Kampango1
1Mozambican-Danish Rural Malaria Initiative (MOZDAN), P.O. Box 8, Morrumbene, Inhambane Province, Mozambique.
Background:
Determining the insecticide resistance status of malaria vectors, particularly to insecticides used on mosquito nets, is important but is limited to a relatively small number of locations. We describe a simple assay that enables this information to be obtained over a much wider area.
Methods:
The time to knockdown of mosquitoes in an insecticide-treated netting-covered metal frame cage were recorded. The shape of the curve of the proportion of knocked down mosquitoes provides information on resistance status.
Results:
Resistant Anopheles funestus took significantly longer for knockdown than did susceptible Anopheles arabiensis.
Conclusions:
This simple technique will enable a wide range of locations to be sampled, enhancing our understanding of the spread of resistance to pyrethroids.
