Evolution of kdr haplotypes in worldwide populations of Aedes aegypti: independent origins for the F1534C kdr mutation

We amplified the IIS6 and IIIS6 NaV segments from pools of Ae. aegypti populations from 15 countries, including South and North America, Africa, Asia, Pacific, and Australia. The amplicons were barcoded and sequenced using NGS Ion Torrent. We found support that some kdr mutations arose de novo and are regionally distributed. However, our results also suggest for the first time that the 1534C kdr mutation had at least two distinct origins. We can thus conclude that insecticide selection pressure with DDT and more recently with pyrethroids is selecting for independent convergent mutations in NaV.