Identification of Essential Containers for <i>Aedes</i> Larval Breeding to Control Dengue in Dhaka, Bangladesh

ABSTRACT

Dengue fever (DF), one of the most important emerging arboviral diseases, is transmitted through the bite of container breeding mosquitoes <i>Aedes aegypti</i> and <i>Aedes albopictus</i>. A household entomological survey was conducted in Dhaka from August through October 2000 to inspect water-holding containers in indoor, outdoor, and rooftop locations for <i>Aedes</i> larvae. The objective of this study was to determine mosquito productivity of each container type and to identify some risk factors of households infested with <i>Aedes</i> larvae. Of 9,222 households inspected, 1,306 (14.2%) were positive for <i>Aedes</i> larvae. Of 38,777 wet containers examined, 2,272 (5.8%) were infested with <i>Aedes</i> larvae. Containers used to hold water, such as earthen jars, tanks, and drums were the most common containers for larval breeding. Tires in outdoor and rooftop locations of the households were also important for larval breeding. Although present in abundance, buckets were of less importance. Factors such as independent household, presence of a water storage system in the house, and fully/partly shaded outdoors were found to be significantly associated with household infestation of <i>Aedes</i> larvae. Identification and subsequent elimination of the most productive containers in a given area may potentially reduce mosquito density to below a level at which dengue transmission may be halted.