Rotating Insecticide Products: A Necessary Step to Prevent Mosquito Resistance

Introduction to Mosquito Resistance

Mosquito resistance is the ability of mosquitoes to survive exposure to insecticides that would normally be lethal to them. The problem of mosquito resistance has become widespread, and it threatens the efficacy of insecticides.

Mosquito resistance is caused by repeated exposure to the same type of insecticide, which leads to a genetic mutation in the mosquito population. The result is a reduced effectiveness of the insecticide and an increase in the number of people being infected, and the number of working days lost to malaria growing.

For those involved in Mosquito Vector Control Programmes the job doesn't start and end with acquiring the same insecticides and using them to control mosquitoes at your mining and community sites as you did last year.

Have you tested to see if the mosquitoes have become resistant to the products you used in last year’s programme?

The World Health Organisation (WHO) advised in March 2023 that it is essential to rotate insecticide products to prevent mosquito resistance. This is a crucial step to ensure that your workforce stays healthy and productive.

The Impact of Rotating Insecticide Products

Rotating insecticide products is an effective strategy to prevent mosquito resistance. It involves alternating the use of different types of insecticides so that mosquitoes are not repeatedly exposed to the same type of insecticide. This prevents the development of resistance and ensures that the insecticides remain effective. It is recommended that insecticides with different modes of action be used to ensure effective rotation within the integrated approach of larviciding, fogging and indoor residual spraying.

Rotating insecticide products has several benefits. First and foremost, it prevents mosquito resistance from developing. This ensures that the insecticides remain effective in controlling the mosquito population. Secondly, it increases the lifespan of the insecticides. When insecticides are used repeatedly, they become less effective. By alternating the use of different types of insecticides, their lifespan can be increased. Thirdly, it saves costs. When insecticides become ineffective, more must be used to achieve the same results. Rotating insecticide products reduces the need for additional insecticides and thereby saves on costs.

How to Rotate Insecticide Products

Rotating insecticide products can be done in different ways. The easiest method is to alternate the use of different insecticide products. Insecticides with different modes of action should be used to ensure effective rotation. So within a larviciding, fogging and IRS programme you might change at least one of the products in each cycle.

The Cost of Not Rotating Insecticide Products

The cost of not rotating insecticide products can be enormous. As mentioned earlier, resistance can lead to the spread of diseases like malaria and dengue fever. These diseases can cause a drop in productivity as your workforce becomes sick. Additionally, the cost of acquiring new insecticides can be substantial if the old ones become ineffective due to resistance. The cost of not rotating insecticide products far outweighs the cost of implementing a rotation strategy.

Conclusion:

Effective mosquito control is essential for the health, wellbeing and productivity of your workforce. The WHO recommends rotating insecticide products as a necessary step to preventing mosquito resistance, therefore it is essential that throughout the year, regular testing needs to be done to detect any increase in the resilience of mosquitoes to the insecticides being used.

By spotting resistance early you can modify your treatments and get better results whilst preventing the spread of diseases, increase productivity, and save on costs. As procurement officers, it is important that you ensure your mining sites are protected from mosquitoes. Implementing a rotation strategy will go a long way in achieving this goal.

That is why it is so important that your procurement teams form part of the Programme Team so as to understand that their job is not just to issue tenders for the same product they ordered last year but to make informed buying decisions based on information provided to them by the experts.

How can we help you? Regent Laboratories have been manufacturing and distributing vector control products for over 25 years over which they have built up a huge body of knowledge that can help your company or organisation procure the most effective products.

In the programmes we assist our clients with we have different classes of insecticides that we use interchangeably with our larvicides and this we recommend to our client that we do this at least every two years. We can advise on the combinations we think work best in your situation.

Pyrethroid

• Bugstop™  Lambda; 25 S ULV. (IRS and Fogging)

Organophosphates

• Bugstop™ Chlorpyrifos; (Larvicide):

• Bugstop™ Malathion; (IRS & Fogging);

• Bugstop™ Pirimiphos-methyl 30% CS; (IRS) :

Biological

• Bugstop™ Bti (Biological Larvicide)

Mono-molecular film oil

• Bugstop™ Larvex100, a vegetable oil based and  environmentally friendly (Larvicide)

When used interchangeably the result is that the mosquitoes do not become resistant to the interventions. We can advise on the combinations we think work best in your situation.

Regent Laboratories carry a wide range of products so that they can react to any changes in resistance and advise your programme team and its procurement member of what to use and with what other products. Their Bugstop™ product range is well known and well respected.

In addition to the insecticides and larvicides we supply Long Lasting Insecticide Impregnated Bed Nets, Repellent Lotions, Spray Equipment and clothing (including our latest in new lighter spray pumps), Rapid Diagnostic Test Kits, and Educational Material in various languages for use in the work and community environments. All of our products meet the WHO standards.

Visit of our website www.regentlaboratories.com for more information and use our WhatsApp function on the website to speak with a member of our team.

Andrew Jones

andrew@regentlaboratories.com