Effectiveness of Fipronil as a Systemic Control Agent Against Xenopsylla cheopis (Siphonaptera: Pulicidae) in Madagascar

• Published in: Journal of Medical Entomology
• Main Authors: Rajonhson, D, Miarinjara, A., Rahelinirina, S., Rajerison, M., Boyer, S.
• Other Authors: Unité d'Entomologie Médicale Antananarivo, Madagascar (IPM), Institut Pasteur de Madagascar, Réseau International des Instituts Pasteur (RIIP)-Réseau International des Instituts Pasteur (RIIP), Université d'Antananarivo, Unité Peste - Plague Unit Antananarivo, Madagascar
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2017
• Subjects: Xenopsylla cheopis; Rattus sp; plague; fipronil; systemic insecticide; MESH: Animals; MESH: Humans; MESH: Rats; MESH: Xenopsylla; MESH: Yersinia pestis; MESH: Insect Control; MESH: Insect Vectors; MESH: Insecticides; MESH: Madagascar; MESH: Plague; MESH: Pyrazoles; [SDV]Life Sciences [q-bio]; [SDV.BA.ZI]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Animal biology/Invertebrate Zoology; [SDV.BV.PEP]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Vegetal Biology/Phytopathology and phytopharmacy; Burrows; Rothschild; Rattus rattus
• Online Access: https://hal-riip.archives-ouvertes.fr/pasteur-01649320; https://doi.org/10.1093/jme/tjw200

International audience Fipronil was evaluated as a systemic control agent for the rat flea Xenopsylla cheopis (Rothschild), the main vector of Yersinia pestis (Yersin), the causative agent of plague, in Madagascar. The effectiveness of fipronil as a systemic control agent against X. cheopis was assessed by determining the toxicity values of the " Lethal Dose 50 " (LD 50). Two techniques were used to evaluate the systemic action of the insecticide on the vector: 1) an artificial feeding device filled with blood–fipronil mixture from which X. cheopis was fed and 2) rodent hosts, Rattus norvegicus (Berkenhout) and Rattus rattus (L.), which fed on fipronil-treated bait. As a standardized control method, the susceptibility of X. cheopis to fipronil was evaluated by exposure to impregnated paper within World Health Organization (WHO) insecticide test protocol to compare its effect to the systemic activity of the studied insecticide. Results showed that when administered in a systemic way, fipronil appears to be more effective: the toxicity level was evaluated to be ninefold higher compared with the WHO test. Compared with other methods, which require indiscriminate dusting of rodent burrows and human dwellings, fipronil applied in a systemic way enables the direct targeting of the plague vector. Thus, this method appears to be a superior alternative to fipronil-dusting for the control of the main plague vector in Madagascar. However, subsequent tests in the field are necessary to confirm the suitability of fipronil administration in a systemic way on large scales.