Last Updated: 02/12/2025
The impact of insecticide resistance and exposure on Plasmodium infection level and prevalence in the malaria vector Anopheles gambiae
Objectives
The goal of this proposal is to identify how key determinants of vectorial capacity are affected by insecticide resistance alleles and exposure to insecticide molecules. Specifically, this project will:
- study the impact of resistance on fitness-linked traits of Anopheles gambiae malaria vectors, including life history parameters and behavioural changes related to blood feeding;
- explore the genetic linkage of resistance to insecticides and Plasmodium susceptibility;
- evaluate the impact of insecticide resistance on variation in P. falciparum infectivity in insecticide-resistant mosquitoes;
- characterise the vectorial capacity-linked phenotype changes induced by exposure to insecticides.
Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM), United Kingdom
Prevalence of insecticide resistance alleles has reached high frequencies in many West African countries, revealing a strong selective pressure from anthropogenic control activities. Recent studies have revealed that both insecticide exposure and heritable insecticide resistance mechanisms can impact mosquitoparasite interaction dynamics, and thus affect malaria epidemiology. Crucially, however, the mechanisms underlying these effects and the range of parameters impacted remain to be elucidated. The fellowship would contribute to building much- needed medical entomology-parasitology capacity in Benin serving the long term aim of supporting policy development and implementation for sustainable control strategies.
Feb 2016 — Feb 2022
$589,068
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