Domestic Aedes aegypti breeding site surveillance: limitations of remote sensing as a predictive surveillance tool.

Abstract

Abstract. This project tested aerial photography as a surveillance tool in identifying residential premises at high risk of Aedes aegypti breeding by extending the use of a recently developed, ground-based, rapid assessment technique, the modified Premise Condition Index (PCI 2 ). During 1995, we inspected 360 premises in Townsville, Australia for Ae. aegypti breeding, and PCI 2 scores were recorded. The PCI 2 values were also estimated from 1:3,000 color and infrared aerial photograph interpretation for the same premises. We found that shade levels can be accurately identified from both color and infrared images, and the PCI 2 can be accurately identified from infrared photographs. Yard conditions, however, cannot be accurately identified from either aerial photograph type. The airborne PCI 2 did not significantly correlate with breeding measures, and logistic regression further demonstrated that neither aerial photograph type allows the accurate prediction of Ae. aegypti breeding risk. Therefore, the ability of low-level aerial photography to enhance Ae. aegypti breeding site surveillance is at present limited, with ground surveillance remaining our most reliable tool for identifying the probability of Ae. aegypti breeding in the residential environment.Dengue is now considered to be one of the most serious arboviral diseases, with two hundred million people at risk worldwide.

Co-occurrence Patterns of the Dengue Vector Aedes aegypti and Aedes mediovitattus, a Dengue Competent Mosquito in Puerto Rico

“…There are four proposed explanations for the limited use of mapping, including remote sensing, for the study of dengue risk: (1) traps for adult Ae. aegypti had not been efficacious and emphasis has been placed on sampling immatures (Eisen and LozanoFuentes 2009); (2) dengue researchers have focused on the importance of small containers to determine the risk of dengue, precluding the utility of remote sensing which has not been shown to be able to discern containers at the fine scale needed (Moloney et al 1998;Eisen and Lozano-Fuentes 2009); (3) environmental characteristics such as the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) may only be relevant in locations where containers are rain filled and trees prevent evapotranspiration rather than filled and maintained by humans (Eisen and Lozano-Fuentes 2009); and (4) the risk of dengue outbreaks is influenced not only by the abundance of mosquitoes but also the serotype specific herd immunity of the population (Eisen and Lozano-Fuentes 2009). …”

“…Remote sensing has been used to map landscape features such as tidiness and shade levels of backyards as predictors of suitable Ae. aegypti breeding habitats (Tun-Lin et al 1995;Moloney et al 1998) and to map environmental conditions, temperature, and precipitation, using NDVI as a proxy for precipitation (Estallo et al 2008). Remote sensing has also been used to map dengue transmission risk by mapping land use change in Thailand (Vanwambeke et al 2007) and landscape structure in Hawaii (Vanwambeke et al 2011).…”

Increased Larval Mosquito Densities from Modified Landuses in the Kapiti Region, New Zealand: Vegetation, Water Quality, and Predators as Associated Environmental Factors

“…Based on the results from this study, educating the public to limit the number of artificial containers that may fill with water and accumulate high organic content (e.g., disused plastic buckets, trash cans) may lower the regional abundance of vector species, as suggested in other studies (e.g., Knudsen, 1995;Moloney et al, 1998;Tauil, 2001). This action might be particularly pertinent in New Zealand given the low prevalence of natural mosquito predators in the country (Laird, 1990(Laird, , 1995.…”

Study on the Correlation of Premises Condition Index and the Presence of Larvae of Aedes Species Mosquitoes in Human Dwellings of the Cuddalore District of Tamil Nadu, India

“…Going through the literature, it was known that shade level can be accurately identified even from the aerial with the help of both color and infrared images and the positivity of larvae was compared with variables (house, yard, and degrees of shadow). It was known that there was no much variation in the prediction of positivity using all these variables put together rather than degrees of shades alone [8]. Similarly [6], Tun-Lin stated that the PCI was developed as a rapid, cost-effective surveillance technique for identifying premises at high risk of breeding A aegypti .…”

“…Its condition is being determined by the periodical maintenance of inmates), yard (this is some space available either in front of the house or at the back of the house) and the degree of shadow is determined based on the vegetation in and around the house. These are defined as adopting of the reference [6,8]. The house conditions were classified as 1 = well maintained house (e.g., newly painted, or new house); 2 = moderately well, a maintained house; and 3 = not a well-maintained house (e.g., paint peeling, broken items visible, dilapidated, especially if old).…”