ARS | Publication request: A High Throughput Screening Method to Identify Potential Pesticides for Mosquito Control.

Submitted to: Journal of Medical Entomology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: November 8, 2008
Publication Date: March 1, 2009
Citation: Pridgeon, Y.W., Becnel, J.J., Clark, G.G., Linthicum, K. 2009. A High Throughput Screening Method to Identify Potential Pesticides for Mosquito Control. Journal of Medical Entomology 46(2):335-341.

Interpretive Summary: Mosquitoes are able to transmit human diseases. Therefore, they are important to the public health community. Using pesticides is a major method to control these medically important insects. However, very few pesticides are currently registered for mosquito control. In order to screen large numbers of chemicals very quickly, a method using first instar larvae of Aedes aegypti was created and evaluated in our laboratory. The results of this larval assay method were compared with the results from the topical application previously established in our lab. We found out that the results from this larval assay correlated well with the results from the topical applical method. Therefore, this larval screen method is suitable for screening large numbers of candidate chemicals quickly to search for active compounds.

Technical Abstract: Mosquitoes that transmit human diseases are of major importance to the international public health community. Pesticides remain a major component of integrated programs to control these medically important species. However, very few types of pesticides are currently registered for mosquito control. A high throughput screening method using 1st instar larvae of Aedes aegypti was created and evaluated in our laboratory to quickly screen large numbers of chemicals for activity against mosquitoes. LC50 values of a representative group of compounds were determined using this high throughput screening method and compared to LD50 values determined by topical application against female adults of Ae. aegypti. Our results demonstrate that this high throughput screening method is suitable for screening large numbers of candidate chemicals quickly to identify effective compounds