Xenopsylla cheopis (Siphonaptera: Pulicidae) susceptibility to Deltamethrin in Madagascar

PLoS One. 2014 Nov 4;9(11):e111998. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0111998. eCollection 2014.

Abstract

The incidence of bubonic plague in Madagascar is high. This study reports the susceptibility of 32 different populations of a vector, the flea Xenopsylla cheopis (Siphonaptera: Pulicidae), to the insecticide Deltamethrin. Despite the use of Deltamethrin against fleas, plague epidemics have re-emerged in Madagascar. The majority of the study sites were located in the Malagasy highlands where most plague cases have occurred over the last 10 years. X. cheopis fleas were tested for susceptibility to Deltamethrin (0.05%): only two populations were susceptible to Deltamethrin, four populations were tolerant and 26 populations were resistant. KD50 (50% Knock-Down) and KD90 (90% Knock-Down) times were determined, and differed substantially from 9.4 to 592.4 minutes for KD50 and 10.4 min to 854.3 minutes for KD90. Susceptibility was correlated with latitude, but not with longitude, history of insecticide use nor date of sampling. Combined with the number of bubonic plague cases, our results suggest that an immediate switch to an insecticide other than Deltamethrin is required for plague vector control in Madagascar.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Flea Infestations / veterinary*
  • Insecticide Resistance
  • Insecticides / pharmacology*
  • Lethal Dose 50
  • Madagascar
  • Nitriles / pharmacology*
  • Plague / prevention & control
  • Pyrethrins / pharmacology*
  • Rats
  • Rodent Diseases / parasitology*
  • Xenopsylla / drug effects*

Substances

  • Insecticides
  • Nitriles
  • Pyrethrins
  • decamethrin

Grants and funding

The authors have no support or funding to report.