The Significance of Insecticide Resistance in Vector Control Programs

Abstract

Introduction. The occurrence of resistance to insecticides is not new. John B. Smith apparently observed resistance to kerosene in the San Jose scale in 1887 (Babers and Pratt, 1951). Since 1914, when Melander asked his now famous question “Can insects become resistant to sprays”, at least a dozen agricultural species have developed varying degrees of resistance to insecticides. The problem of insecticide resistance did not, however, become of general concern to medical entomologists until some time after DDT had come into widespread use. It is the purpose of the present paper to present a summary review of the impact of insecticide resistance upon vector control and related programs in various parts of the world and its implications for the future. Pertinent information has been obtained from literature, from personal correspondence and discussions, and from the results of recent investigations being conducted by the Communicable Disease Center.