Resistance to pyrethroid insecticides in house flies, Musca domestica L., (Diptera: Muscidae) collected from urban areas in Punjab, Pakistan.

Abstract

House flies are one of the major public health pests in urban settings. People usually use insecticides containing pyrethroids for the management of house flies; however, there is a lack of information on pyrethroid resistance in house flies from urban areas. In the present study, resistance to four pyrethroids (beta-cyfluthrin, deltamethrin, permethrin, transfluthrin) was assessed in house flies collected from urban areas of Punjab, Pakistan. Significant levels of resistance to all the pyrethroids were found in different strains of house flies. The resistance ratios (RRs) at the median lethal dose (LD50) level were in the range of 5.25- to 11.02-fold for beta-cyfluthrin, 7.22- to 19.31-fold for deltamethrin, 5.36- to 16.04-fold for permethrin, and 9.05- to 35.50-fold for transfluthrin. Pairwise comparison of the log LD50s revealed a highly significant correlation (p<0.01) between deltamethrin and permethrin, suggesting the possibility of a cross-resistance mechanism. The results revealed the occurrence of pyrethroid resistance in house flies from urban areas of Punjab. Regular resistance monitoring surveys and integrated approaches for the management of house flies are needed to retain the efficacy of these insecticides for a longer period of time.