ABSTRACT
An unprecedented dengue outbreak occurred in 2010 in Port Sudan city, Sudan. Dengue incidence was 94 cases per 10 000 observed over 17 epidemiological weeks [total cases = 3 765]. We report here the impact of the vector control response plan to the outbreak, which mainly entailed house inspection and insecticide space spraying. In total 3 048 houses were inspected during vector surveillance and 19 794 larvae and 3 240 pupae of Aedes aegypti were collected. Entomological indices decreased during the period: house index declined from 100% to 16% [F= 57.8, P< 0.001] and pupal/person [P/P] index from 0.77 to 0.10 [F= 3.06, P< 0.01] in weeks 9 and 21 respectively. This decline was accompanied by a decrease in cases from a peak of 341 cases in week 13 to zero in week 29 and the end of the outbreak. There was a significant correlation between the entomological parameters and dengue incidence [R2 = 0.83, F= 23.9,P< 0.001]. Integrated epidemiological and vector surveillance is essential to an effective dengue control programme