Loading...
Man has jousted with insects for millions of years. Natural plant products and synthetic chemicals have been major weapons in man’s anti-insect armamentarium for the past 60 years. A resurgence of permethrin-resistant insects has prompted researchers to train the most advanced tools of molecular biology on the mechanism of this resistance. One insect with resurgent resistance is the bedbug, Cimex lectularius, a wingless, blood-sucking insect that feeds on humans, rodents, and other warm-blooded animals. It has been suggested that bedbugs harbor HIV and hepatitis B virus, but transmission of these viruses to humans has not been demonstrated.
The researchers compared permethrin resistance in two popula…