D3015: Phenotypic and genotypic insecticide resistance against pyrethroids in the Hawaiian Aedes mosquitoes

Pyrethroids are the most widely used insecticide class worldwide for controlling vector-borne diseases. One of the well-documented mechanisms of pyrethroid insecticide resistance in container-inhabiting Aedes mosquitoes is a high frequency of mutations of the voltage-gated sodium channel (VGSC) gene. However, monitoring phenotypic insecticide resistance and VGSC mutations has not been heavily studied in Aedes mosquitoes in the Pacific region. In particular, in the case of Hawaiian populations, there is no insecticide resistance data available in the literature. We conducted a CDC bottle bioassay on individual mosquitoes of the two Hawaiian Aedes populations to characterize phenotypic resistance levels against permethrin, which is a commonly used pyrethroid insecticide. We utilize genomic tools to analyze genetic variants in the VGSC across the Hawaiian Aedes populations. In this study, we present phenotypic and genotypic insecticide resistance profiles against permethrin of Aedes mosquitoes from Big Island, Hawaii. This information will allow public health professionals and others engaged in mosquito control to have a better understanding of Hawaiian Aedes mosquito management purposes.