ssociated patterns of insecticide resistance in field populations of malaria vectors across Africa

Significance Malaria control programs rely on chemical insecticides to target mosquito vectors and are potentially threatened by the emergence of insecticide resistance in African vector populations. Insecticide resistance management initiatives require comprehensive quantification of resistance in field populations to the set of insecticides used in vector control. We analyzed patterns of variation and covariation in resistance to these insecticides, using statistical methods that handle the sparse spatiotemporal distribution of the available data. We found relationships across different insecticide types that are consistent across large parts of Africa, allowing prediction of resistance to be improved by incorporating observations across multiple insecticide types. We also found large-scale relationships between phenotypic resistance and patterns of genetic variation, demonstrating the potential utility of genetic markers.