ABSTRACT
Traditional indices for measuring dengue fever risk in a given area are based on the immature forms of the vector (larvae and pupae surveys). However, this is inefficient because only adult female mosquitoes actually transmit the virus. Based on these assumptions, our objective was to evaluate the association between an entomological index obtained from adult mosquito traps and the occurrence of dengue in a hyperendemic area. Additionally, we compared its cost to that of the Breteau Index (BI).Material and methods: We performed this study in São José do Rio Preto, SP, Brazil, between the epidemiological weeks of 36/2012 and 19/2013. BG-Sentinel and BG-Mosquitito traps were installed to capture adult mosquitoes. Positive and negative cases of dengue fever were computed and geocoded. We generated biweekly thematic maps of the entomological index, generated by calculating the number of adult Aedes aegypti females (NAF) per 100 households during a week by kriging, and based on the number of mosquitoes captured. The relation between the occurrence of dengue fever and the NAF was tested using a spatial case-control design and a generalized additive model and was controlled by the coordinates of the positive and negative cases of dengue fever...
