Abstract Background Arboviral diseases including dengue and chikungunya are major public health concern in Bangladesh, with unprecedented levels of transmission reported in recent years. The primary approach to control these diseases is control of Aedes aegypti using pyrethroid insecticides. Although chemical control is long-practiced, no comprehensive analysis of Ae. aegypti susceptibility to insecticides has previously been conducted. This study aimed to determine the insecticide resistance status of Ae. aegypti in Bangladesh and investigate the role of detoxification enzymes and altered target site sensitivity as resistance mechanisms. Methods Aedes eggs were collected using ovitraps from five districts across the country and in eight neighborhoods of the capital city Dhaka from August to November 2017. CDC bottle bioassays were conducted for permethrin, deltamethrin, malathion, and bendiocarb using 3-5-day old F 0 -F 2 non-blood fed female mosquitoes. Biochemical assays were conducted to detect metabolic resistance mechanisms and real-time PCR was performed to determine the frequencies of the knockdown resistance ( kdr ) mutations Gly1016, Cys1534, and Leu410. Results High levels of resistance to permethrin were detected in all Ae. aegypti populations, with mortality ranging from 0 – 14.8% at the diagnostic dose. Substantial resistance continued to be detected against higher (2X) doses of permethrin (5.1 – 44.4% mortality). Susceptibility to deltamethrin and malathion varied between populations while complete susceptibility to bendiocarb was observed in all populations. Significantly higher levels of esterase and oxidase activity were detected in most of the test populations as compared to the susceptible reference Rockefeller strain. A significant association was detected between permethrin resistance and the presence of Gly1016 and Cys1534 homozygotes. The frequency of kdr alleles varied across the Dhaka populations, and Leu410 was not detected in any of the tested populations. Conclusions The detection of widespread pyrethroid resistance and multiple mechanisms highlights the urgency for implementing alternate Ae. aegypti control strategies. In addition, implementing routine monitoring of insecticide resistance in Ae. aegypti in Bangladesh will lead to a greater understanding of susceptibility trends over space and time, thereby enabling the development of improved control strategies.

Insecticide resistance status of Aedes aegypti in Bangladesh