Evidence of High Frequencies of Insecticide Resistance Mutations in Aedes aegypti (Culicidae) Mosquitoes in Urban Accra, Ghana: Implications for Insecticide-based Vector Control of Aedes-borne Arboviral Diseases

Abstract

The most widespread arboviral diseases such as Dengue, Chikungunya, and Zika are transmitted mainly by Aedes mosquitoes. Due to the lack of effective therapeutics for most of these diseases, vector control remains the most effective preventative and control measure. This study investigated and compared the species composition, insecticide susceptibility, and resistance mechanisms in Aedes mosquito populations from a forest reserve converted to an eco-park and a peri-domestic sites in urban Accra, Ghana. Immature Aedes were sampled from the study sites, raised to adults, and exposed to deltamethrin, permethrin, DDT, fenitrothion, bendiocarb, permethrin + PBO, and deltamethrin + PBO using WHO tube assays. Melting curve analyses were performed for F1536C, V1016I, and V410L genetic mutations in surviving and dead mosquitoes following exposure to deltamethrin and permethrin. Microplate assay was used to access enzyme activity levels in adult mosquitoes from both populations. Aedes aegypti was found to be the dominant species from both study populations. The susceptibility test results revealed a high frequency of resistance to all the insecticides except fenitrothion. F1534C mutations were observed in 100% and 97% of mosquitoes from the peri-domestic and forest population, respectively but were associated with pyrethroid resistance only in the forest population (P < 0.0001). For the first time in Aedes mosquitoes in Ghana, we report the existence V410L mutations, mostly under selection only in the forest population (HWE P < 0.0001) and conclude that Aedes vectors in urban Accra have developed resistance to many commonly used insecticides. This information is important for the formulation of vector control strategies for Aedes control in Ghana.

Association of 410L, 1016I and 1534C kdr mutations with pyrethroid resistance in Aedes aegypti from Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, and development of a one-step multiplex PCR method for the simultaneous detection of 1534C and 1016I kdr mutations

“…This resistance is consistent with a role of kdr mutations, with near fixation of the 1534C mutant and high frequency of the 1016I and 410L alleles. The F1534C kdr mutation was found at very high frequency (99.8%) in Ouagadougou, in agreement with previous frequency of 0.97 recorded 2 years before [ 25 ] and 0.92 1 year later [ 19 ], demonstrating the stability and the fixation of this allele in Ouagadougou, with comparable results recorded in Ghana recently [ 38 ]. The 1016I kdr allelic frequency has increased rapidly in Ouagadougou within a 2-year period (χ 2 = 97.22, df = 1, P < 0.0001) from 0.20 and 0.47 in previous collections in 2016 [ 12 , 25 ] to 0.64 in the current study (2018).…”

Insecticide resistance status of Aedes aegypti in southern and northern Ghana

“…This is the first report to our knowledge of this mutation in the northern part of Ghana, Navrongo. It was first reported in the southern part of Ghana, Accra, in only forest populations in 2022 [ 53 ]. This mutation was first detected in a Brazilian Ae.…”

Entomological surveillance on Aedes aegypti during covid 19 period in Cape Coast, Ghana: Risk of arboviral outbreaks, multiple insecticide resistance and distribution of F1534C, V410L and V1016I kdr mutations

“…However, the contribution of V410L to the pyrethroid resistance remains unclear. This mutation was recently detected in a population from Accra [ 44 ] as well as Ghana’s neighboring countries of Cote d’Ivoire [ 15 ] and Burkina Faso [ 38 ]. However, all the three studies did not find the V410L contribution to pyrethroid resistance in their respective countries.…”

“…Similar result has also been reported in Ae . aegypti population from Accra [ 44 ]. This mechanism could explain some of the resistant phenotype found in this study.…”