Normal Bangkok strain of X. cheopis which had little resistance to DDT in 1966 became moderately resistant in 1972 without any direct exposure to the insecticide. It was analyzed that the causes of resistance gaining were as follows. First, the possibility of being exposed unconsciously to DDT spray under malaria eradication program could not be ruled out, even in laboratory as far as ventilation windows would be open sometime. Insecticides from air spray through the window influenced the fleas kept in the pools. Second, it may be said that initial resistance to DDT has become greater and greater ecologically without any exposure of insecticides. A highly resistant strain of X. cheopis which survived after contacting 4% DDT for five times during one year period was obtained in the laboratory and it showed 100% survival at the highest concentration (4%) of DDT paper by 24 hour exposure. The hybrid forms between normal Bangkok strain and artificially mutated "Resistant Strain" were obtained by mixing the above two colonies. Regardless to the sexes of both ancestors, the results of resistance tests of hybrids showed that artificially gained resistance of fleas to DDT was inherited possibly by recessive hereditary role by pheonotype.
parasitology-arthropoda-flea-Xenopsylla cheopis ; resistance-DDT ; Bangkok strain ; DDT