Banca de DEFESA: MAHARA GABRIELLE BARBOSA DIOGENES

EFFECT OF AZITHROMYCIN ON THE DEVELOPMENTAL CYCLE OF Chrysomya megacephala (DIPTERA: CALLIPHORIDAE)

Forensic entomology, Azithromycin, cadaverous entomofauna, Dipteros creation, Bionomy.

Introduction: Due to the pandemic scenario experienced in 2020, 2021, and still in 2022, the antibiotic azithromycin was used as one of the items in the "covid kit," widely utilized during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aims to analyze the effects of the antibiotic azithromycin on the bionomics of Chrysomya megacephala, including mass gain, size, and duration of the development cycle. Methodology: For the assays, 100 eggs were used for each treatment, kept in an insectary and reared in plastic containers containing raw ground meat supplemented with azithromycin at three concentrations: D1 (30μl), D2 (60μl), and D3 (120μl). Monitoring was conducted at the Insect and Vector Laboratory (LIVe) every six hours, where inhibition of emergence, duration of each stage, and measurements of mass and size were observed. Microbiological assays, involving processing 10% of the individuals in their respective developmental stages and incubating the plates with Mueller-Hinton agar, were conducted at the Mycobacteria Laboratory (LABMIC). The experiment was conducted in duplicate. Results and Discussion: Individuals in contact with azithromycin exhibited higher mass during larval periods, reaching double that of the control, and larger size. Regarding emergence inhibition, treatments D2 and D3 showed lower rates, with 7.56% and 27.73%, respectively. Group D1 recorded the highest inhibition rate, at 64.71%. The duration of the cycle in treatments with azithromycin showed a 6-hour advancement in the larval period compared to the control, following the same trend in the pupal period. Emergence was also observed 24 hours earlier than the control group in all concentrations. Conclusion: It was observed that azithromycin caused a distinct development from the control - larval cycle, pupal stage, and emergence - and positively influenced the mass gain and size of the larvae.