| Summary: | The intensive use of various insecticides in agriculture has caused concern for increased selection pressure for insecticide resistance development in insect vector population. Selection at different life stages of rodent fleas is usually assumed to arise because of indiscriminate use of agricultural pesticides or indoor residual spray for anti-flea or anti-mosquito measures. Susceptibility status of rodent fleas to various insecticides was studied during 2007 to 2009 in sericulture and non-sericulture villages of Kolar, Karnataka, and Chittoor district, Andhra Pradesh, to study the selection pressure of various insecticides used in agriculture and public health sectors. Mortality rate in synthetic pyrethroids is found to be significantly higher in Palamneru (A.P.) areas in both sericulture and non-sericulture areas compared to Kolar (Karnataka) areas. However, there is no significant difference in mortality rate in other insecticides used in public health programs between sericulture and non-sericulture areas of Kolar and Palamneru area. Silk farmers resist to indoor residual insecticide spraying for mosquito or flea control due to its toxic effect on silk worms. As a result, malaria incidence in the area was high in early nineties. Due to non-acceptance of indoor residual spray in silk-rearing villages of Kolar and Chittoor districts, selection pressure of various insecticides on flea population breeding indoor is negligible but the selection pressure from the insecticide-treated mulberry plant leaves on indoor resting flea population was always there.
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