**Mosquito-Borne Diseases, Pesticides Used for Mosquito Control, and Development of Resistance to Insecticides**

Jaime A. Cuervo-Parra, Teresa Romero Cortés and Mario Ramirez-Lepe

Additional information is available at the end of the chapter

http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/61510

#### **Abstract**

Mosquitoes are one of the most dangerous insects in the world for humanity. Over one million people worldwide die from mosquito-borne diseases every year. Mosquito vec‐ tored diseases include protozoan diseases, i.e., malaria, filarial diseases such as dog heart‐ worm, and viral diseases such as dengue, encephalitis, and yellow fever. In addition, mosquitoes transmit several diseases and parasites that dogs and horses are very suscep‐ tible too. These include dog heartworm, West Nile virus (WNV), and eastern equine en‐ cephalitis (EEE). Since its discovery, chemical insecticides have represented the most widely method used to control mosquito-borne vectors. However, the effects of chemical insecticides on mosquito vector populations are usually transitory because vectors can rapidly develop resistance against them. Each insecticide triggers the selection of one or more mechanisms of resistance. These mechanisms include changes in the target site of action and metabolic detoxification among others.

**Keywords:** Mosquito, resistance, insecticide, pesticide, vector, disease
