Document heading doi: ©2015 by the Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Biomedicine. All rights reserved. Susceptibility of Anopheles maculipennis to different classes of insecticides in West Azarbaijan Province, Northwestern Iran Ali Reza Chavshin 1,2* , Farrokh Dabiri 2 , Hassan Vatandoost 3 , Mulood Mohammadi Bavani 2,3 1 Social Determinants of Health, Research Center, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran 2 Department of Medical Entomology and Vector Control, School of Public Health, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran 3 Department of Medical Entomology and Vector Control, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Asian Pac J Trop Biomed 2015; 5(5): 403-406 Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Biomedicine *Corresponding author: Dr. Ali Reza Chavshin, Department of Medical Entomology and Vector Control, School of Public Health, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran. E-mail: chavshin@umsu.ac.ir, chavshin@gmail.com Foundation Project: Supported by Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran (Project No. 1239). 1. Introduction A wide range of vector-borne diseases are caused by mosquitoes. Different species of mosquitoes have the potential of transmitting a diverse number of diseases. Anopheles maculipennis (An. maculipennis) is one such species which has been reported as the vector of some important mosquito-borne diseases such as malaria[1], filarial nematodes[2], West Nile virus[3], Sindbis virus[4], among others. In addition to the role of this species in the transmission of different diseases, the wide geographical distribution of An. maculipennis from Northern Europe[5], through Northern Africa and the Middle East[6-8], makes it imperative to study this species. The complexity of the classification of this species has led it to be recognized as a species complex comprising of twelve species of which six [Anopheles atroparvus, Anopheles labranchiae, PEER REVIEW ABSTRACT KEYWORDS Anopheles maculipennis, Insecticide, Resistance, Iran Objective: To determine the susceptibility status of Anopheles maculipennis (An. maculipennis) against the major insecticides used in the health sectors in West Azarbaijan Province, Northwestern Iran. Methods: Unfed 3-5 days old adult females of An. maculipennis were collected across the West Azarbaijan Province and were subjected to evaluation of their susceptibility following World Health Organization recommended protocol against six insecticides (permethrin, deltamethrin, propoxur, bendiocarb, malathion and dieldrin) belonging to four different classes. Results: In this study, 916 specimens of An. maculipennis were examined against the insecticides which indicated that An. maculipennis was tolerant to permethrin, deltamethrin and dielderin, but displayed resistance against propoxur, bendiocarb and malathion. Conclusions: The pattern of resistance in An. maculipennis could be attributed to the agricultural landscapes, agricultural pesticides used and the exposure of the mosquitoes to insecticides. Logical cooperation is needed between the agriculture and health sectors to ensure the judicious use of pesticides in each sector and the management of probable resistance. Peer reviewer Dr. Partap Singh, Associate Professor, Laboratory of Wildlife Management, Department of Zoology, Government Dungar PG College, Bikaner - 334001, Rajasthan, India. Tel: +91 9414333776, E-mail: partapsk@gmail.com Co-reviewer: Dr. Rakesh K. Singh, Varanasi, India. Comments This valuable research work carries lot of significance in controlling An. maculipennis, which is carrier of many deadly diseases causing organisms. In the 916 specimens of An. maculipennis examined against the insecticides, An. maculipennis appeared tolerant to permethrin, deltamethrin and dielderin, but displayed resistance against propoxur, bendiocarb and malathion. Details on Page 406 Article history: Received 21 Oct 2014 Received in revised form 28 Oct 2014 Accepted 10 Nov 2014 Available online 27 Mar 2015 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/apjtb