Temephos susceptibility status in Aedes aegypti populations from western, central, and eastern regions of Cuba

Luis Augusto Piedra; Dayana Rodriguez; Waldemar Baldoquin; Pablo Cardenas; Eric Camacho; Israel Garcia; Ilien Mitjans; Nell Cox; Veerle Vanlerberghe; Maria Del Carmen Marquetti

doi:10.1186/s13071-025-06955-0

Temephos susceptibility status in Aedes aegypti populations from western, central, and eastern regions of Cuba

Luis Augusto Piedra
, Dayana Rodriguez
, Waldemar Baldoquin
, Pablo Cardenas
, Eric Camacho
, Israel Garcia
, Ilien Mitjans
, Nell Cox
, Veerle Vanlerberghe
, Maria Del Carmen Marquetti

Education Coordination Department of Public Health

Research output: Contribution to journal › A1: Peer-reviewed journal articles › peer-review

Abstract

Background
Aedes aegypti chemical control remains the major strategy to prevent dengue, Zika, and Chikungunya outbreaks. The Cuba archipelago organizes a constant surveillance in its entire territory to follow up the distribution and infestation levels, but also insecticide resistance of Ae. aegypti, to estimate arbovirus transmission risk for its inhabitants. The objective of this study was to determine temephos susceptibility status in the Ae. aegypti population from western, central, and eastern regions of Cuba.

Methods
Aedes larvae bioassays were performed following World Healthy Organization (WHO) methodology. Entomological samples were collected in the western (Pinar del Rio and Matanzas), central (Santa Clara [Villa Clara], Cienfuegos, Sancti Spíritus, and Camagüey), and eastern (Las Tunas, Holguín, Santiago de Cuba, and Guantánamo) regions of Cuba from February 2022 to June 2023.

Results
This study showed susceptibility in Las Tunas population (RR50 = 0.94). Santa Clara [Villa Clara] (RR50 = 8.94), Cienfuegos (RR50 = 5.88), and Sancti Spíritus (RR50 = 6.7) populations showed moderate resistance and the rest showed high resistance (RR50 > 10) to temephos.

Conclusions
Most Ae. aegypti populations tested from western, central and eastern regions of Cuba showed spatial homogeneity of temephos resistance owing to the intensive use of this larvicide since 1981. Insecticide resistance management by the National Vector Control Program is required to reverse temephos resistance development.

Original language	English
Article number	126
Journal	Parasites and Vectors
Volume	19
Issue number	1
Number of pages	7
ISSN	1756-3305
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-025-06955-0
Publication status	Published - 14-Feb-2026

Keywords

Aedes aegypti
Insecticide
Resistance
Temephos
Temefos/pharmacology
Mosquito Vectors/drug effects
Insecticide Resistance
Mosquito Control
Larva/drug effects
Cuba
Animals
Aedes/drug effects
Insecticides/pharmacology

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@article{acd6ca9a240a49d0b1efd943a9940962,

title = "Temephos susceptibility status in Aedes aegypti populations from western, central, and eastern regions of Cuba",

abstract = "Background Aedes aegypti chemical control remains the major strategy to prevent dengue, Zika, and Chikungunya outbreaks. The Cuba archipelago organizes a constant surveillance in its entire territory to follow up the distribution and infestation levels, but also insecticide resistance of Ae. aegypti, to estimate arbovirus transmission risk for its inhabitants. The objective of this study was to determine temephos susceptibility status in the Ae. aegypti population from western, central, and eastern regions of Cuba. Methods Aedes larvae bioassays were performed following World Healthy Organization (WHO) methodology. Entomological samples were collected in the western (Pinar del Rio and Matanzas), central (Santa Clara [Villa Clara], Cienfuegos, Sancti Sp{\'i}ritus, and Camag{\"u}ey), and eastern (Las Tunas, Holgu{\'i}n, Santiago de Cuba, and Guant{\'a}namo) regions of Cuba from February 2022 to June 2023. Results This study showed susceptibility in Las Tunas population (RR50 = 0.94). Santa Clara [Villa Clara] (RR50 = 8.94), Cienfuegos (RR50 = 5.88), and Sancti Sp{\'i}ritus (RR50 = 6.7) populations showed moderate resistance and the rest showed high resistance (RR50 > 10) to temephos. Conclusions Most Ae. aegypti populations tested from western, central and eastern regions of Cuba showed spatial homogeneity of temephos resistance owing to the intensive use of this larvicide since 1981. Insecticide resistance management by the National Vector Control Program is required to reverse temephos resistance development.",

keywords = "Aedes aegypti, Insecticide, Resistance, Temephos, Temefos/pharmacology, Mosquito Vectors/drug effects, Insecticide Resistance, Mosquito Control, Larva/drug effects, Cuba, Animals, Aedes/drug effects, Insecticides/pharmacology",

author = "Piedra, \{Luis Augusto\} and Dayana Rodriguez and Waldemar Baldoquin and Pablo Cardenas and Eric Camacho and Israel Garcia and Ilien Mitjans and Nell Cox and Veerle Vanlerberghe and Marquetti, \{Maria Del Carmen\}",

note = "FTX: CC BY {\textcopyright} 2026. The Author(s).",

year = "2026",

month = feb,

day = "14",

doi = "10.1186/s13071-025-06955-0",

language = "English",

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journal = "Parasites and Vectors",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Temephos susceptibility status in Aedes aegypti populations from western, central, and eastern regions of Cuba

AU - Piedra, Luis Augusto

AU - Rodriguez, Dayana

AU - Baldoquin, Waldemar

AU - Cardenas, Pablo

AU - Camacho, Eric

AU - Garcia, Israel

AU - Mitjans, Ilien

AU - Cox, Nell

AU - Vanlerberghe, Veerle

AU - Marquetti, Maria Del Carmen

PY - 2026/2/14

Y1 - 2026/2/14

N2 - Background Aedes aegypti chemical control remains the major strategy to prevent dengue, Zika, and Chikungunya outbreaks. The Cuba archipelago organizes a constant surveillance in its entire territory to follow up the distribution and infestation levels, but also insecticide resistance of Ae. aegypti, to estimate arbovirus transmission risk for its inhabitants. The objective of this study was to determine temephos susceptibility status in the Ae. aegypti population from western, central, and eastern regions of Cuba. Methods Aedes larvae bioassays were performed following World Healthy Organization (WHO) methodology. Entomological samples were collected in the western (Pinar del Rio and Matanzas), central (Santa Clara [Villa Clara], Cienfuegos, Sancti Spíritus, and Camagüey), and eastern (Las Tunas, Holguín, Santiago de Cuba, and Guantánamo) regions of Cuba from February 2022 to June 2023. Results This study showed susceptibility in Las Tunas population (RR50 = 0.94). Santa Clara [Villa Clara] (RR50 = 8.94), Cienfuegos (RR50 = 5.88), and Sancti Spíritus (RR50 = 6.7) populations showed moderate resistance and the rest showed high resistance (RR50 > 10) to temephos. Conclusions Most Ae. aegypti populations tested from western, central and eastern regions of Cuba showed spatial homogeneity of temephos resistance owing to the intensive use of this larvicide since 1981. Insecticide resistance management by the National Vector Control Program is required to reverse temephos resistance development.

AB - Background Aedes aegypti chemical control remains the major strategy to prevent dengue, Zika, and Chikungunya outbreaks. The Cuba archipelago organizes a constant surveillance in its entire territory to follow up the distribution and infestation levels, but also insecticide resistance of Ae. aegypti, to estimate arbovirus transmission risk for its inhabitants. The objective of this study was to determine temephos susceptibility status in the Ae. aegypti population from western, central, and eastern regions of Cuba. Methods Aedes larvae bioassays were performed following World Healthy Organization (WHO) methodology. Entomological samples were collected in the western (Pinar del Rio and Matanzas), central (Santa Clara [Villa Clara], Cienfuegos, Sancti Spíritus, and Camagüey), and eastern (Las Tunas, Holguín, Santiago de Cuba, and Guantánamo) regions of Cuba from February 2022 to June 2023. Results This study showed susceptibility in Las Tunas population (RR50 = 0.94). Santa Clara [Villa Clara] (RR50 = 8.94), Cienfuegos (RR50 = 5.88), and Sancti Spíritus (RR50 = 6.7) populations showed moderate resistance and the rest showed high resistance (RR50 > 10) to temephos. Conclusions Most Ae. aegypti populations tested from western, central and eastern regions of Cuba showed spatial homogeneity of temephos resistance owing to the intensive use of this larvicide since 1981. Insecticide resistance management by the National Vector Control Program is required to reverse temephos resistance development.

KW - Aedes aegypti

KW - Insecticide

KW - Resistance

KW - Temephos

KW - Temefos/pharmacology

KW - Mosquito Vectors/drug effects

KW - Insecticide Resistance

KW - Mosquito Control

KW - Larva/drug effects

KW - Cuba

KW - Animals

KW - Aedes/drug effects

KW - Insecticides/pharmacology

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U2 - 10.1186/s13071-025-06955-0

DO - 10.1186/s13071-025-06955-0

M3 - A1: Peer-reviewed journal articles

C2 - 41691316

SN - 1756-3305

VL - 19

JO - Parasites and Vectors

JF - Parasites and Vectors

IS - 1

M1 - 126

ER -

Temephos susceptibility status in Aedes aegypti populations from western, central, and eastern regions of Cuba

Abstract

Keywords

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