ISSN 2756-3391
African Journal of Parasitology Research | Vol. 14, No. 8, August 2026 | pp. 725–732
DOI: 10.46882/AJPR/140725
Article Type: Full Length Research Paper
Title: Efficacy of integrated vector management strategies against pyrethroid-resistant Culex quinquefasciatus populations in urban drainage systems of Cotonou, Benin
Names of Authors: Marcel K. Adjovi¹, Félicien A. Gbaguidi¹, Clarisse S. Houndénou²
Authors’ Affiliations: ¹Centre de Recherche Entomologique de Cotonou, Cotonou, Benin. ²Département de Zoologie, Faculté des Sciences et Techniques, Université d'Abomey-Calavi, Cotonou, Benin.
Abstract: Rapid urban expansion without adequate drainage systems creates heavily polluted microhabitats that encourage the breeding of insecticide-resistant vectors. This field-based study evaluated the efficacy of combining biological larviciding (Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis) with mechanical channel clearing to control pyrethroid-resistant Culex quinquefasciatus across 24 urban drainage networks in Cotonou, Benin. Standard WHO bottle bioassays confirmed widespread resistance to deltamethrin (0.05 percent) and permethrin (0.75 percent), with 24-hour adult mortality rates staying below 18.5 percent. Biochemical profiling linked this resistance to elevated levels of non-specific esterases and monooxygenases (P < 0.001). Following a coordinated intervention combining mechanical clearing and weekly biological larviciding, larval densities dropped by 84.6 percent within 30 days. Furthermore, the mean indoor resting density of adult mosquitoes dropped from 42.5 to 6.8 mosquitoes per room per night in communities near the treated drains. Multivariate regression showed that structural blockages and plastic waste accumulation in the drains were major risk factors for vector breeding (odds ratio = 4.12, 95 percent confidence interval [2.31 to 7.42]). These findings prove that relying only on chemical sprays is ineffective due to metabolic resistance mechanisms, demonstrating that integrated environmental management combined with biological larvicides is necessary to control urban vectors in West Africa.
Keywords: Culex quinquefasciatus, Pyrethroid resistance, Integrated vector management, Biological larvicides, Urban drainage, Benin
Manuscript Timeline: Received: 10 June 2026; Revised: 05 July 2026; Accepted: 28 July 2026; Published: 12 August 2026
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