104 - Selective Pressures and Resistance Evolution in Mosquito Populations: Challenges and Opportunities

Abstract: Insecticide resistance in mosquitoes poses a significant threat to global vector control efforts. To better understand the evolutionary dynamics of resistance, we examined selective pressures acting on Aedes aegypti mosquitoes carrying kdr mutations (L410V, V1016I, F1534C) under varying insecticide dosages. Using genetic crosses of resistant and wildtype strains, we quantified selective pressures at high and waning insecticide doses, demonstrating how the fitness advantage of resistance is dose-dependent and shaped by the existing prevalence of resistance and mosquito exposure levels. Using this data, we empirically tested four resistance management strategies, finding that low-dose exposure and high-dose refuge approaches offered the best resistance management, though at the cost of reduced population control. Combined, these studies provide novel insights into resistance evolution and offer a framework for optimizing vector control strategies through the combination of empirical research and mathematical modeling.