Assessing the anti-resistance potential of public health vaporizer formulations and insecticide mixtures with pyrethroids using transgenic Drosophila lines

BACKGROUND: Insecticide resistance—and especially pyrethroid resistance—is a major challenge for vector control in public health. The use of insecticide mixtures utilizing alternative modes of action, as well as new formulations facilitating their uptake, is likely to break resistance and slow the development of resistance. METHODS: We used genetically defined highly resistant lines of Drosophila melanogaster with distinct target-site mutations and detoxification enzymes to test the efficacy and anti-resistance potential of novel mixture formulations (i.e. Fludora(®) Fusion consisting of deltamethrin and clothianidin), as well as emulsifiable concentrate transfluthrin, compared to alternative, currently used pyrethroid insecticide formulations for vector control. RESULTS: The commercial mixture Fludora(®) Fusion, consisting of both a pyrethroid (deltamethrin) and a neonicotinoid (clothianidin), performed better than either of the single active ingredients against resistant transgenic flies. Transfluthrin, a highly volatile active ingredient with a different molecular structure and primary exposure route (respiration), was also efficient and less affected by the combination of metabolic and target-site resistance. Both formulations substantially reduced insecticide resistance across different pyrethroid-resistant Drosophila transgenic strains. CONCLUSIONS: The use of mixtures containing two unrelated modes of action as well as a formulation based on transfluthrin showed increased efficacy and resistance-breaking potential against genetically defined highly resistant Drosophila flies. The experimental model remains to be validated with mosquito populations in the field. The possible introduction of new transfluthrin-based products and mixtures for indoor residual spraying, in line with other combination and mixture vector control products recently evaluated for use in public health, will provide solutions for better insecticide resistance management. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT: [Image: see text] SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13071-021-04997-8.