Temporal Pattern of Mutations in the Knockdown Resistance (kdr) Gene of Aedes aegypti Mosquitoes Sampled from Southern Taiwan

Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2019 Nov;101(5):973-975. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.19-0289.

Abstract

Aedes mosquitoes are the principal dengue vector in Taiwan, where the use of insecticides is a key element in the national control strategy. However, control efforts are constrained by the development of resistance to most insecticides, including pyrethroids. In this study, mutations in the voltage-gated sodium channel (VGSC) gene resulting in knockdown resistance (kdr) were examined in Aedes aegypti. Fragments of the VGSC gene were polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-amplified followed by restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis in samples from various settings in Southern Taiwan covering dry and wet seasons from 2013 to 2015. Three kdr mutations were identified: V1023G, D1794Y, and F1534C, with observed frequencies of 0.36, 0.55, and 0.33, respectively, in the dry season of 2013-2014. Exploring for temporal changes, the most important observation was the 1534C allele frequency increment in the following season to 0.60 (P < 0.05). This study suggests that continued insecticide pressure is driving the mutational changes, although the selection is ambiguous in the mosquito population.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aedes / genetics*
  • Animals
  • Genotype
  • Insecticide Resistance / genetics*
  • Insecticides / pharmacology*
  • Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide
  • Pyrethrins / pharmacology
  • Seasons
  • Taiwan
  • Time Factors

Substances

  • Insecticides
  • Pyrethrins