<i>Chromobacterium</i> biopesticide overcomes insecticide resistance in malaria vector mosquitoes.

Abstract

Vector mosquito control is an integral part of malaria control. The global emergence of insecticide resistance in malaria-transmitting <i>Anophelines</i> has become an impediment and has created an urgent need for novel mosquito control approaches. Here, we show that a biopesticide derived from the soil-dwelling bacterium <i>Chromobacterium</i> sp. Panama (<i>Csp_P</i>) kills insecticide-resistant <i>Anopheles</i> mosquitoes, regardless of their resistance mechanisms. In addition, sublethal dose of <i>Csp_P</i> acts as a synergist to now used chemical insecticides across multiple classes. Moreover, <i>Csp_P</i> reduces host-seeking behavior and malaria parasite infection in vector mosquitoes in ways that further decrease transmission. Mosquito glutathione <i>S</i>-transferases are essential for <i>Csp_P</i>'s mosquito-killing mechanism. Enclosed field trials in Burkina Faso, conducted in diverse ecological settings and supported by a mathematical model, have now demonstrated its potential for malaria control in settings with widespread insecticide resistance.