Characterization of insecticide resistance mechanisms and the impact of vector control interventions on malaria vectors of Papua New Guinea (360G-Wellcome-209649_A_17_Z)

Pyrethroid insecticide resistance has become a major hindrance in the fight against vector borne diseases such as malaria. A debilitating effect of the wide use of pyrethroid is cross- resistance from pyrethroid formulated for agricultural use and or prior exposure to dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT). Emergence of insecticide resistance (IR) compromises vector control programs in controlling disease transmission. Papua New Guinea (PNG) utilizes long lasting insecticide treated bed nets (LLINs) in the country’s national malaria control program. Changes in vector behavior post-LLINs are sustaining malaria transmission. In northern PNG, very high transmissions are observed in areas with supposedly near universal LLIN coverage. Although IR monitoring found PNG vector populations to be fully susceptible to insecticides; recent studies observed several individuals surviving beyond 24 hours after exposure to DDT and deltamethrin. Further investigation is essential for resistance mechanism identification. This study aims to investigate further into the impacts of LLIN on vector populations in different transmission foci and the evolution of IR mutations within these vector populations in order to understand the underlying factors driving the observed transmission patterns. In addition, generate insights on strategies to mitigate the onset of phenotypic IR and avoid pyrethroid control failure in PNG.