Insecticide resistance in mosquitoes: Development, mechanisms and monitoring

Mosquito-borne diseases are of major public health concerns, mainly in tropical countries. Control of these diseases is primarily achieved through mosquito control. One of the major challenges encountered by mosquito control programmes is the development of resistance to insecticides by mosquitoes. Increased detoxifying activity through over expression of insect metabolic enzymes and altered target sites with decreased sensitivity to insecticides are the two major mechanisms of resistance. This review article presents our knowledge on development of insecticide resistance and the underlying biochemical and molecular mechanisms of resistance to major classes of insecticides. Techniques available to monitor resistance and to understand the underlying mechanisms are also discussed.