Indoor spraying with chlorfenapyr (a pyrrole insecticide) provides residual control of pyrethroid-resistant malaria vectors in southern Benin

Abstract

Background: New classes of insecticides with novel modes of action, which can provide effective and prolonged control of insecticide-resistant malaria vector populations, are urgently needed for indoor residual spraying. Such insecticides can be included in a rotation plan to manage and prevent further development of resistance in mosquito vectors of malaria. Chlorfenapyr, a novel pyrrole insecticide with a unique mode of action, is being developed as a long-lasting IRS formulation.

Methods: The efficacy of several formulations of chlorfenapyr alone and as mixtures with alpha-cypermethrin were evaluated in an experimental hut trial against wild pyrethroid-resistant Anopheles gambiae sensu lato in Cové, Benin, in an attempt to identify the most effective and long-lasting formulations for IRS. The trial lasted 12 months. A comparison was made with alpha-cypermethrin and bendiocarb formulations. CDC bottle bioassays were performed to investigate cross-resistance to chlorfenapyr in the local vector population.

Results: Mortality rates in World Health Organization (WHO) cylinder bioassays were < 5% with pyrethroids due to high levels of pyrethroid resistance, but > 95% with bendiocarb thus confirming susceptibility to carbamates in the vector population. CDC bottle bioassays showed no cross-resistance between pyrethroids and chlorfenapyr. Overall mortality of free-flying mosquitoes entering the experimental huts over the 12-month trial was 4% with alpha-cypermethrin and 12% with bendiocarb. The chlorfenapyr solo-formulations induced significantly higher levels of mortality (38-46%) compared to the bendiocarb (12% P < 0.001) and to the mixture formulations (18-22%, P < 0.05). The original Sylando 240SC formulation of chlorfenapyr was more efficacious than all other novel chlorfenapyr formulations tested. Bendiocarb induced > 80% mortality in the first month, but this declined sharply to < 20% by the third month while the mortality rates achieved with the chlorfenapyr formulations (38-46%) were persistent lasting 7-10 months. The mixtures induced significantly lower percentage mortality than chlorfenapyr-solo formulations. Wall cone bioassays only showed mortality rates that were consistent with chlorfenapyr IRS treated huts when the exposure time was increased to 2 h.

Conclusion: Indoor residual spraying with chlorfenapyr (Sylando^® 240SC) provides moderate but prolonged control of pyrethroid-resistant malaria vectors compared to pyrethroid and bendiocarb IRS. Wall cone bioassays on chlorfenapyr-treated walls required longer exposure times of 2 h than the customary 30 min indicating that WHO guidelines on residual cone bioassays need to be more insecticide-specific.

Keywords: Alpha-cypermethrin, Bendiocarb; Anopheles; CDC Bottle bioassays; Chlorfenapyr; Cové; Experimental huts; Indoor residual spraying; Mixtures; Sylando.

Fig. 1

Mortality of wild pyrethroid resistant Anopheles gambiae s.l. from Cové in WHO susceptibility cylinder bioassays. Each bar represents mortality of ~ 100 exposed mosquitoes. Error bars represent 95% confidence intervals

Fig. 2

Mortality of susceptible Anopheles gambiae Kisumu and pyrethroid resistant An. gambiae s.l. Cové in chlorfenapyr treated CDC bottle bioassays

Fig. 3

Overall mortality of wild free-flying pyrethroid resistant Anopheles gambiae s.l. Cové in IRS treated experimental huts in Cové, Benin. For 72 h mortality, bars bearing the same letter label are not significantly different at the 5% level (P > 0.05, logistic regression). Error bars represent 95% confidence intervals. CFP chlorfenapyr

Fig. 4

Monthly mortality of wild free-flying pyrethroid resistant Anopheles gambiae s.l. entering IRS treated experimental huts in Cové Benin. Error bars represent 95% confidence intervals

Fig. 5

Cone bioassay mortality of susceptible Anopheles gambiae Kisumu exposed for a range of exposure times to IRS treated experimental hut walls 1 week post-treatment. Error bars represent 95% confidence intervals