Avaliação dos efeitos do bioinseticida vectobac® no comportamento de peixes-zebra

Abstract

Vector control is an essential measure in public health, aimed at preventing and reducing the transmission of diseases caused by organisms such as mosquitoes and flies, which act as vectors for various pathogens. Various control strategies can be routinely applied to combat mosquitoes and flies of public health concern. As a key strategy, larvicides are being applied to mosquito breeding sites. One such product is the biological larvicide VectoBac® 12 AS, which can be applied directly to water to target mosquito larvae. Although effective against mosquitoes, its potential adverse effects on non-target organisms remain unclear. Here, we evaluated the impact of VectoBac® 12 AS exposure on zebrafish behavior. Fish were exposed for 30 minutes to concentrations of 1.5, 2.5, and 10 μg/L, followed by assessments of exploratory behavior and social preference. Exposure to bioinsecticide induced an anxiolytic effect in zebrafish but did not alter social preference. These findings demonstrate that even biological products can negatively impact aquatic species. Moreover, they highlight the need for toxicity assessments of biological agents to confirm their environmental safety.