Assessment of community support for Wolbachia-mediated population suppression as a control method for Aedes aegypti mosquitoes in a community cohort in Puerto Rico

Abstract

Arboviral diseases transmitted by Aedes species mosquitoes pose an increasing public health challenge in tropical regions. Wolbachia-mediated population suppression (Wolbachia suppression) is a vector control method used to reduce Aedes mosquito populations by introducing male mosquitoes infected with Wolbachia, a naturally occurring endosymbiotic bacterium. When Wolbachia-infected male mosquitoes mate with female wild mosquitoes, the resulting eggs will not hatch. Public support is vital to the successful implementation and sustainability of vector control interventions. Communities Organized to Prevent Arboviruses (COPA) is a cohort study to determine the incidence of arboviral disease in Ponce, Puerto Rico and evaluate vector control methods. Focus groups were conducted with residents of COPA communities to gather their opinion on vector control methods; during 2018–2019, adult COPA participants were interviewed regarding their views on Wolbachia suppression; and a follow-up questionnaire was conducted among a subset of participants and non-participants residing in COPA communities. We analyzed factors associated with support for this method. Among 1,528 participants in the baseline survey, median age was 37 years and 63% were female. A total of 1,032 (68%) respondents supported Wolbachia suppression. Respondents with an income of $40,000 or more were 1.34 times as likely [95% CI: 1.03, 1.37] to support Wolbachia suppression than those who earned less than $40,000 annually. Respondents who reported repellant use were 1.19 times as likely to support Wolbachia suppression [95% CI: 1.03, 1.37]. A follow-up survey in 2020 showed that most COPA participants (86%) and non-participants living in COPA communities (84%) supported Wolbachia suppression during and after an educational campaign. The most frequent questions regarding this method were related to its impact on human and animal health, and the environment. Continuous community engagement and education efforts before and during the implementation of novel vector control interventions are necessary to increase and maintain community support.

Community perceptions on challenges and solutions to implement an Aedes aegypti control project in Ponce, Puerto Rico (USA)

“…In addition to the community engagement plan, the results presented in this article were used to inform and improve the development of knowledge and practices sections of the annual COPA questionnaire. After using the communications strategy, no opposition to the project activities has taken place [ 42 ].…”

“…To prepare to carry out the COPA project—designed both as a cohort and a cluster randomized trial with two arms (control and intervention) [ 42 – 43 , 45 ]—we used ethnological and qualitative methods to identify communities that would want to participate in the project. COPA is a collaborative project between CDC, Ponce Health Sciences University-Ponce Research Institute, and the Puerto Rico Vector Control Unit (PRVCU).…”

“…To prepare to carry out the COPA project-designed both as a cohort and a cluster randomized trial with two arms (control and intervention) [42][43]45]-we used ethnological and qualitative methods to identify communities that would want to participate in the project.…”

“…The COPA project aims to work with communities in Ponce, Puerto Rico, to assess the effectiveness of vector control interventions, specifically the impact of Wolbachia suppression in reducing mosquito populations and human arboviral infections [ 42 ]. The intervention involves the release of male mosquitoes with Wolbachia bacterium to mate with wild female mosquitoes, and reduce their population as their mating is incompatible.…”

Comparison of the Sensitivity and Specificity of Commercial Anti-Dengue Virus IgG Tests to Identify Persons Eligible for Dengue Vaccination

“…Participants were recruited into COPA as previously described with written informed consent or assent obtained from all study participants according to a protocol approved by Institutional Review Boards at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Ponce Medical School Foundation, Inc (PMSF). We used random samples among non-ill children 9-16 years of age collected in 2018 and 2019 (14). Specimens from primary ZIKV infections were obtained from a pediatric cohort in Nicaragua collected in 2018 and 2019 (15).…”