121 - Understanding Metabolic and Knockdown Resistance and Their Impact

In biological terms, resistance can be defined as the natural ability of an organism to withstand a damaging agent or adverse condition. Animals, plants, and microbes have all demonstrated the ability to develop resistance, with either positive or negative outcomes, depending on the interaction. In terms of mosquito insecticide resistance, it can be defined as the ability of a mosquito to survive exposure to a standard dose of insecticide.
Mosquitoes that are heavily selected with pesticides tend to evolve two major types of resistance: metabolic resistance and knockdown resistance. Mosquito resistance means decreased efficacy and an increased threat of vector-borne disease.