Development of a mosquito repellent spray for insecticide-resistant Ae. aegypti mosquitoes under laboratory conditions
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.14456/dcj.2026.37Keywords:
mosquito repellent spray, insecticide-resistant Ae. aegypti mosquitoes, para geneAbstract
Insecticide-resistant Aedes aegypti mosquitoes have been documented in all provinces of Thailand, reducing the effectiveness of insecticidal products against these vectors. This study aimed to develop and evaluate a mosquito repellent spray against insecticide-resistant mosquitoes under laboratory conditions. The project involved formulating a mosquito-repellent spray with Icaridin as the active ingredient. The formulation was quantified for Icaridin using gas chromatography-flame ionization detection (GC-FID). An acute dermal irritation study was conducted on rabbits in accordance with OECD Guidelines 404 “Acute dermal irritation/corrosion” and OECD GLP standards. The efficacy of the spray against insecticide-resistant Ae. aegypti mosquitoes was assessed using modified repellency testing procedures. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and DNA sequencing were performed to identify mutations in the para gene (V1016G) in the mosquitoes used in the study. The results demonstrated that the mosquito repellent spray contained 9.78% w/w Icaridin and met the criteria for the skin irritation test in rabbits. Furthermore, the spray provided repellency time against insecticide-resistant Ae. aegypti mosquitoes from six provinces, ranging from 9.9 (SD 1.3) to 12.0 (SD 0) hours, with a median repellency time between 9.50 (IQR 3) and 12.0 (IQR 0) hours. The median repellency time of the spray differed significantly across mosquitoes from six provinces (Kruskal-Wallis test, p<0.05). A point mutation at amino acid position 1016 (V1016G) in the para gene was identified in mosquitoes from all six provinces, with mutation frequencies ranging from 0.20 to 0.33. The developed repellent spray targeting insecticide-resistant Ae. aegypti mosquitoes will be valuable for tasks related to vector control and the supportive functions of the Department of Medical Sciences.
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