《Vector surveillance and control》.pdfVIP

Dengue haemorrhagic fever CHAPTER 5 Vector surveillance and control The most important vector of dengue virus is the mosquito Aedes aegypti, which should be the main target of surveillance and control activities. Other species should be considered for vector control only where there is reliable evidence that they play an epidemiologically significant role in the transmission of dengue infections. Vector surveillance Entomological surveillance is used to determine changes in the geographical distribution and density of the vector, evaluate control programmes, obtain relative measurements of the vector population over time and facilitate appro- priate and timely decisions regarding interventions. It may also serve to identify areas of high-density infestation or periods of population increase. A number of methods are available for detecting or monitoring immature and adult popula- tions. Selection of appropriate sampling methods depends on the surveillance objectives, levels of infestation, available funding and skills of personnel. Guid- ance on the choice of surveillance methods for Ae. aegypti is presented in Table 5.1. Several indices have been described and are currently used to monitor Ae. aegypti populations for dengue virus transmission. Those related to immature populations include the house index, i.e. the percentage of houses infested with larvae or pupae; the container index, i.e. the percentage of water-holding containers infested with larvae or pupae; and the Breteau index, i.e. the number of positive containers per 100 houses inspected. When using the house index or the Breteau index, the definition of a house should be one unit of accommoda- tion and the surrounding premises, irrespective of the number of people resid- ing therein. The abundance of adult mosquitos is expressed as either the land