Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2019 Mar;19(1):1368-1375.
doi: 10.4314/ahs.v19i1.9.

The potential role of urbanization in the resistance to organophosphate insecticide in Culex pipiens pipiens from Tunisia

Ahmed Tabbabi  1   2 , Jabeur Daaboub  1   2 , Raja Ben Cheikh  1 , Ali Laamari  1 , Mohamed Feriani  1 , Chokri Boubaker  1 , Ibtissem Ben Jha  1 , Hassen Ben Cheikh  1
Affiliations

The potential role of urbanization in the resistance to organophosphate insecticide in Culex pipiens pipiens from Tunisia

Ahmed Tabbabi et al. Afr Health Sci. 2019 Mar.

Abstract

Objective: To examine the effects of urbanization on the resistance status of field populations of Culex pipiens pipiens to organophosphate insecticide.

Methods: Bioassays and biochemical assays were conducted on Tunisian field populations of Culex pipiens pipiens collected in four various areas differing in the degree of urbanization. Late third and early fourth larvae were used for bioassays with chlorpyrifos and adults mosquitoes for biochemical assays including esterase and acetyl cholinesterase (AChE) activities.

Results: The distribution of resistance ratios in this study appears to be influenced by the degree of urbanization. The highest resistance was recorded in the population from most urbanized areas in Tunisia whereas the lowest resistance was found in relatively natural areas. Both metabolic and target site mechanisms were involved in the recorded resistance.

Conclusion: This is the first study in Tunisia showing evidence of the impact of urbanization on the resistance level in Culex pipiens pipiens. Proper management of the polluted breeding sites in the country and effective regulation of water bodies from commercial and domestic activities appear to be critical for managing insecticide resistance.

Keywords: Culex pipiens pipiens; organophosphate resistance; urbanization.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Geographic origin of Tunisian populations.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Tabbabi A, Bekhti K. A review of West Nile Virus and its Potential Vector (Culex pipiens) in North Africa. The Journal of Middle East and North Africa Sciences. 2017;3(6):9–12.
    1. Ben Cheikh H, Haouas-Ben Ali Z, Marquine M, Pasteur N. Resistance to organophosphorus and pyrethroid insecticides in Culex pipiens (Diptera: Culicidae) from Tunisia. Journal of Medical Entomology. 988;35:251–260. - PubMed
    1. Weill M, Lutfalla G, Mogensen K, Chandre F, Berthomieu A, Berticat C, Pasteur N, Philips A, Fort P, Raymond M. Insecticide resistance in mosquito vectors. Nature. 2003;423:136–137. - PubMed
    1. Weill M, Malcolm C, Chandre F, Mogensen K, Berthomieu A, Marquine M, Raymond M. The unique mutation in ace-1 giving high insecticide resistance is easily detectable in mosquito vector. Insect Molecular Biology. 2004;13:1–7. - PubMed
    1. Caldas de Castro M, Yamagata Y, Mtasiwa D, Tanner M, Utzinger J, Keiser J, Singer BH. Integrated urban malaria control: a case study in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. 2004;71:103–117. - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources