Comparison of Efficacy of Five Types of Long-Lasting Insecticidal Nets Against Anopheles fluviatilis, the Primary Malaria Vector in East-Central India

Five types of long-lasting insecticidal nets (LNs), namely, Olyset, Netprotect, PermaNet, DuraNet, and Interceptor, were tested after 20 washes for efficacy in terms of mortality, deterrence effect, blood-feeding inhibition, and induced exophily of the malaria vector Anopheles fluviatilis in experimental huts in Malkangiri district of Odisha State, India. Efficacy of the three synthetic pyrethroids (SPs) used in the LNs was also analyzed. Use of LNs reduced the entry of An. fluviatilis into the huts by 73.3-83.2%, and the five LNs were comparable in terms of deterrence. The exit rate of An. fluviatilis from the huts with untreated net was 56.3%, and relative to this, Olyset followed by DuraNet induced significantly a higher exophily. In contrast, the exit rate was significantly lower with Interceptor. Among the three SPs, permethrin induced significantly greater exophily relative to the untreated control, and as a result of this, permethrin-treated Olyset produced a lower mortality. Blood-feeding rate of An. fluviatilis was significantly lower with all the five LNs than the control. Similarly, all the three SPs significantly inhibited blood feeding compared with the control. Interceptor and DuraNet, both alphacypermethrin-treated LNs, caused relatively a higher mortality of An. fluviatilis than the other LNs. The five brands of LNs and three SPs tested in the current study were equally effective in terms of deterrence and blood-feeding inhibition; only exiting and killing effect differed among them. Permethrin-treated LNs induced greater exophily, while, overall, alphacypermethrin-treated LNs killed more An. fluviatilis that entered the huts. Advantage of deterrence, excito-repellent, and killing effects of LNs and appropriate selection of SP for net treatment are discussed in this paper.