Identifying Insecticide Resistance and Prevalence of kdr Mutations in Culex tarsalis in Salt Lake City, Utah
Poster Number
11B
Research or Creativity Area
Natural Sciences
Abstract
Culex tarsalis mosquitoes are key carriers of West Nile virus in the western United States, posing a significant public health threat. The control of mosquito-borne diseases typically involves the use of insecticides, with pyrethroids being the dominant choice in the US since the late 1960s. Pyrethroids act by blocking voltage-gated sodium channels in the nervous system, leading to tetanus in the muscles and eventually death of the insects. Knockdown resistance (kdr) mutations are point mutations that occur at position 1014, as characterized in Anopheles gambiae. These mutations result in a substitution from the wild type leucine (L) allele into phenylalanine (F) or serine (S). These changes reduce the binding affinity of the insecticides to their target sites, leading to decreased efficacy.This study focused on assessing insecticide resistance in mosquitoes near Salt Lake City, Utah by collecting samples from 5 sites and determining kdr prevalence using qPCR and DNA sequencing techniques. Providing this kdr prevalence information to vector control agencies can help the agencies determine if alternate mosquito control strategies are required.
Location
Don and Karen DeRosa University Center (DUC) Poster Hall
Start Date
27-4-2024 10:30 AM
End Date
27-4-2024 12:30 PM
Identifying Insecticide Resistance and Prevalence of kdr Mutations in Culex tarsalis in Salt Lake City, Utah
Don and Karen DeRosa University Center (DUC) Poster Hall
Culex tarsalis mosquitoes are key carriers of West Nile virus in the western United States, posing a significant public health threat. The control of mosquito-borne diseases typically involves the use of insecticides, with pyrethroids being the dominant choice in the US since the late 1960s. Pyrethroids act by blocking voltage-gated sodium channels in the nervous system, leading to tetanus in the muscles and eventually death of the insects. Knockdown resistance (kdr) mutations are point mutations that occur at position 1014, as characterized in Anopheles gambiae. These mutations result in a substitution from the wild type leucine (L) allele into phenylalanine (F) or serine (S). These changes reduce the binding affinity of the insecticides to their target sites, leading to decreased efficacy.This study focused on assessing insecticide resistance in mosquitoes near Salt Lake City, Utah by collecting samples from 5 sites and determining kdr prevalence using qPCR and DNA sequencing techniques. Providing this kdr prevalence information to vector control agencies can help the agencies determine if alternate mosquito control strategies are required.
