Evaluation of a polymerase chain reaction assay for detection of pyrethroid insecticide resistance in the malaria vector species of the Anopheles gambiae complex

A published polymerase chain reaction assay proved reliable for detecting n erve-insensitivity (kdr-type) resistant and susceptible alleles to the pyre throid insecticide permethrin in the malaria vectors Anopheles gambiae s.s. and An. arabiensis and the nonvector species An. quadriannulatus. The assa y detects pyrethroid susceptible and resistance alleles mediated by a mutat ion in region II of the pars-type sodium channel gene, showing that resista nce is conferred by pyrethroid target site insensitivity. Analysis of resul ts of the assay suggests that more than 1 mechanism conferring pyrethroid r esistance is operating in an An. gambiae s.s. strain from Cote d'Ivoire. Th e value of the assay as a tool for monitoring this mode of insecticide resi stance in wild populations is discussed.