Every intervention we undertake for public health or other good reasons has a cost, so it is important to evaluate the trade-off. In vector control, insecticide applications remain one of the most effective and widely used strategies to reduce mosquito populations and limit the transmission of diseases such as dengue. However, when mosquito populations develop resistance, we risk incurring the environmental and health costs of these interventions without achieving their intended benefit.
This is precisely why the work of Fátima Rocío Vázquez Orrego is so valuable. During her UNU-BIOLAC fellowship at the Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, under the mentorship of Dr. Luisa Berná, Fátima advanced the molecular surveillance of insecticide resistance in Aedes aegypti populations in Paraguay. By applying bioinformatics pipelines to sequencing data, she identified mutations in the voltage-gated sodium channel (VGSC) gene associated with resistance to pyrethroid insecticides. This type of genomic insight provides early warning signals about the effectiveness of current control measures.
Genetic surveillance efforts like this allow public health programs to shift from reactive to proactive strategies, anticipating whether a given insecticide will be effective and adapting protocols accordingly. Beyond immediate decision-making, this work contributes to a deeper understanding of how resistance emerges and spreads, opening the door to improved insecticide design and alternative control strategies, such as the deployment of sterile mosquitoes or strains that cannot transmit pathogens. Ultimately, this strengthens the scientific basis for more efficient, sustainable, and locally adapted vector control interventions.
We warmly recognize the contributions of her mentors, Dr. Nilsa Elizabeth González Brítezn (University of Asuncion) and Dr. Luisa Berná (Institut Pasteur de Montevideo).
