Role of Abandoned and Vacant Houses on Aedes aegypti Productivity

Abstract

The control of container Aedes species by house inspections usually achieves insufficient coverage and impact because a percentage of residents are absent and some residents refuse inspections and treatments. In addition, another fraction of the buildings may be uninhabited, such as those for rent or sale, or abandoned. Although the productivity of Aedes aegypti has been investigated in abandoned lots, less is known about the importance of uninhabited buildings. We investigated Ae. aegypti pupal productivity in inhabited, vacant, and abandoned houses and its interaction with socioeconomic levels (SELs). We found pupae in containers of 386 houses (66 abandoned, 62 vacant, and 258 inhabited) in 19 neighborhoods in southern Puerto Rico from May to August 2017. Using a generalized linear model, we found a significant interaction between the status of the house (abandoned, vacant, and inhabited) and SELs (low, medium) on Ae. aegypti pupal abundance. More pupae were found in abandoned and inhabited houses of low SELs. The lowest productivity was found in vacant houses, regardless of the SEL. Most containers producing Ae. aegypti in low-SEL houses were discarded on backyards, whereas in medium SELs, most productivity came from containers in use. Septic tanks producing Ae. aegypti were found only in houses of low SELs, where most emerging mosquitoes came from inhabited houses. We did not find any pupae of Ae. aegypti on roofs. These results indicate that proper yard management could significantly reduce the production of Ae. aegypti and the risk of dengue infections in low-SEL neighborhoods.

Field Effectiveness of Drones to Identify Potential Aedes aegypti Breeding Sites in Household Environments from Tapachula, a Dengue-Endemic City in Southern Mexico

“…However, the latter study opened the way to test new technological tools to obtain higher resolution photos that generated stronger entomological results. In addition, drones can be a surveillance tool to identify breeding sites in inaccessible areas of the home, such as roofs, and in closed houses and vacant lots; this is due to the importance of monitoring these areas of mosquito populations [31]. This is particularly the case in areas with COVID-19 cases, where health personnel should not be in contact with inhabitants [15,32].…”

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

“…Through our formative research activities, we found that residents’ migration resulting in more abandoned houses [ 60 ]—which in turn increases the number of mosquito breeding sites on these properties—was a concern for community residents, and creates a challenge for effective mosquito surveillance and control in this area. These findings, along with results of entomological surveillance conducted in the area confirmed a high mosquito population in Ponce, stressing the need to test and use new mosquito control methods for Ae .…”

El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) effects on local weather, arboviral diseases, and dynamics of managed and unmanaged populations of Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) in Puerto Rico

“…Previous studies in PR showed higher productivity of Ae. aegypti in lower-income neighborhoods where discarded containers were more abundant than in middle-income neighborhoods (Barrera et al 2021). Acknowledging socio-economic differences in Ae.…”