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Updated: Nov 24, 2025

Small-Cage Laboratory Trials of Genetically-Engineered Anopheline Mosquitoes
Published on: May 1, 2021
The use of islands and cluster-randomized trials to investigate vector control interventions: a case study on the
Robert T Jones1,2, Elizabeth Pretorius1, Thomas H Ant3
1Department of Disease Control, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7HT, UK.
Abstract:
Vector-borne diseases threaten the health of populations around the world. While key interventions continue to provide protection from vectors, there remains a need to develop and test new vector control tools. Cluster-randomized trials, in which the intervention or control is randomly allocated to clusters, are commonly selected for such evaluations, but their design must carefully consider cluster size and cluster separation, as well as the movement of people and vectors, to ensure sufficient statistical power and avoid contamination of results. Island settings present an opportunity to conduct these studies. Here, we explore the benefits and challenges of conducting intervention studies on islands and introduce the Bijagós archipelago of Guinea-Bissau as a potential study site for interventions intended to control vector-borne diseases. This article is part of the theme issue 'Novel control strategies for mosquito-borne diseases'.
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