Insecticide resistance in Anopheles sacharovi.

A series of observations is presented on the susceptibility or resistance to insecticides of Anopheles sacharovi in Greece, Iran, Italy, Romania and Turkey. High physiological resistance to DDT was observed in the Tarsus area of southern Turkey. In Greece very marked physiological resistance to dieldrin was found in all the areas examined and was associated, at least in the Peloponnese, with similar resistance to DDT, affecting, however, only a part of the sacharovi population. In Italy and Romania, after 10 years' use of DDT, sacharovi is still susceptible to it; long use of BHC in Romania has not resulted in the development of resistance to dieldrin or to BHC. Further investigation of the situation in Iran is considered necessary.The fact that the use of DDT in Greece, after the development of resistance to this insecticide in 1951, has not resulted in the formation of a highly resistant mosquito population is considered to be due to the irritant effect of the DDT on susceptible mosquitos, causing them to leave sprayed surfaces before they have picked up a lethal dose.The information to date points to the existence in A. sacharovi of two independent mechanisms of physiological resistance-one to DDT and another to dieldrin and BHC-which may or may not be present together.