Susceptibility of Anopheles maculipennis to different classes of insecticides in West Azarbaijan Province, Northwestern Iran

To determine the susceptibility status of Anopheles maculipennis (An.
maculipennis) against the major insecticides used in the health sectors in West Azarbaijan
Province, Northwestern Iran.
Methods: Unfed 3-5 days old adult females of An. maculipennis were collected across the
West Azarbaijan Province and were subjected to evaluation of their susceptibility following
World Health Organization recommended protocol against six insecticides (permethrin,
deltamethrin, propoxur, bendiocarb, malathion and dieldrin) belonging to four different classes.
Results: In this study, 916 specimens of An. maculipennis were examined against the
insecticides which indicated that An. maculipennis was tolerant to permethrin, deltamethrin
and dielderin, but displayed resistance against propoxur, bendiocarb and malathion.
Conclusions: The pattern of resistance in An. maculipennis could be attributed to the
agricultural landscapes, agricultural pesticides used and the exposure of the mosquitoes to
insecticides. Logical cooperation is needed between the agriculture and health sectors to ensure
the judicious use of pesticides in each sector and the management of probable resistance