Non-household environments make a major contribution to dengue transmission: Implications for vector control

Area of Science:

• Medical Entomology
• Epidemiology
• Public Health

Background:

• Increasing incidence of Aedes-borne pathogens necessitates improved vector control strategies.
• Current control methods primarily focus on household environments, overlooking potential breeding sites and transmission dynamics in public spaces.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the importance of non-household (NH) environments for Aedes mosquito-borne pathogen transmission.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of vector control strategies in both household (HH) and NH settings.

Main Methods:

• Utilized field data from Kisumu and Ukunda, Kenya (2019-2022) on Aedes abundance and human activity.
• Developed an agent-based model to simulate dengue transmission across HH and five NH environments.
• Assessed preventive and reactive vector control scenarios within the model.

Main Results:

• Over 50% of dengue infections are estimated to occur in NH settings, including workplaces, markets, and recreational sites.
• Vector control interventions in NH areas demonstrated greater effectiveness compared to HH-focused strategies.
• Early, high-coverage interventions, particularly in NH locations, led to significant reductions in dengue cases.

Conclusions:

• Non-household environments play a critical role in dengue transmission and require targeted vector control efforts.
• Shifting focus to NH environments can optimize the use of limited vector control resources for greater impact.
• Ecological factors, such as water container distribution, influence the success of control interventions.