A case for the use of photosensitive insecticides to control mosquitoes in urban India

Abstract

Mosquitoes are known as notorious vectors that transmit a variety of disease-causing pathogens. Chemical insecticides like DDT have widely been used to control the mosquito populations. Over the time mosquitoes have evolved various strategies to make themselves resistant to the insecticides. To counteract with ever increasing numbers of resistant mosquito populations photosensitive chemicals like Methylene blue, eosin, curcumin and Rose Bengal provide an alternative as mosquito control agents. These chemicals also known as activators generate reactive oxygen species when exposed to sunlight which lead to larval death and other detrimental effects. These chemicals are environmentally safer as they are photodegraded and have little effect on non-target organisms. In India, as the insecticide resistant mosquito population is increasing due to climate change and rampant use of insecticides, photosensitive insecticides can be integrated into the mosquito control strategies to prevent environmental hazards in urban areas.