Phenotypic evidence of deltamethrin resistance and identification of selective sweeps in Anopheles mosquitoes on the Bijagós Archipelago, Guinea-Bissau

A new study confirms deltamethrin resistance in Anopheles gambiae mosquitoes on Bubaque Island, part of the Bijagós Archipelago in Guinea-Bissau, using WHO tube tests. The research identified six single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) linked to insecticide resistance, including mutations in the vgsc and gste2 genes, with four SNPs appearing at frequencies over 5% in the population. Genome-wide selection scans revealed two selective sweeps on chromosomes X and 2R, overlapping with metabolic genes such as cyp9k1 and the cyp6aa/cyp6p cluster, both associated with insecticide resistance. This is the first phenotypic testing for deltamethrin resistance and the first whole genome sequence data for Anopheles gambiae in this region, providing critical insights for vector control policies.

Moss, S., Jones, R. T., Pretorius, E., da Silva, E. T., Higgins, M., Kristan, M., Acford-Palmer, H., Collins, E. L., Rodrigues, A., Krishna, S., Clark, T. G., Last, A., & Campino, S. (2024). Phenotypic evidence of deltamethrin resistance and identification of selective sweeps in Anopheles mosquitoes on the Bijagós Archipelago, Guinea-Bissau. Scientific Reports, 14(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-73996-3