Linking Agricultural Pesticide Use to Malaria Control Failure using Genomic surveillance

Extensive agricultural pesticide use has resulted in mosquito resistance in malaria-endemic regions. While debate exists over agricultural pesticides compromising vector control, no study has directly linked vector control failure to cross-resistance from agricultural pesticides. In Ghana, evidence suggests that the effectiveness of neonicotinoid-based Indoor Residual Spraying (IRS) is compromised by extensive agricultural neonicotinoid use against cotton and soya bean pests. One possible explanation is that bioassays are not sensitive enough to reflect operational vector susceptibility, leading to undetected resistance and control failure. My research proposes an investigation into the extent of neonicotinoid resistance among mosquitoes in northern Ghana's Savannah zone, where intense farming potentially contributes to mosquito resistance. This study aims to establish diagnostic concentrations of clothianidin that reflect field conditions to differentiate resistance levels among mosquito populations in various agricultural settings. The project will involve collecting mosquitoes from 48 sentinel sites across four habitat types, followed by dose-response bioassays to set a baseline susceptibility level. Additionally, a Genome-Wide Association Study (GWAS) will identify genetic markers of resistance, complemented by the development of an amplicon sequencing panel to validate and cost effectively monitor these markers efficiently. This could lead to more targeted and effective public health interventions in endemic regions.