Identification, ecological indices and management of mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) influencing environmental education processes in Colombian high schools

Abstract

Vector-borne diseases annually cause more than 700,000 deaths worldwide. In Colombia, infectious diseases are prevalent, being the Municipality of Santander de Quilichao (Cauca district) one of the most affected areas. This study aimed (a) to determine the abundance of species of mosquitoes with the potential capacity to transmit infectious diseases, in a school located in the Cauca district and (b) to teach students self-care and care for the environment to protect themselves from vector-borne diseases. During 2019 and 2020, in a dry and rainy season, manual collection of mosquitoes in four sites of the institution was conducted. Ecological statistical analyses were carried out. Mosquito species were grouped by similarity (abundance) using a dendrogram by area and a species rarefaction curve. A sociodemographic survey on knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to vector-borne diseases was carried out. An educational booklet was developed, and its impact was validated through the nonparametric Wilcoxon test. In total, 108 specimens were captured from four species: Aedes aegypti, Aedes albopictus, Culex quinquefasciatus, and Psorophora ferox. The greater presence of mosquitos was during the rainy season, being Aedes aegypti the most abundant species. According to Likert's analysis, 59.6% of the students had a very favorable attitude toward the subject; the educational campaign significantly improved knowledge, attitudes, and practices of the students. Finally, the study presents entomological data of interest in public health. That makes it possible to establish prevention and control measures for vector-borne diseases in high schools, through environmental education.

Content Focus and Effectiveness of Climate Change and Human Health Education in Schools: A Scoping Review

“…Most of the studies included were intervention evaluations [48,50,53,54]. Three were case studies [47,51,52], one was a knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) survey [55], and one was a description of a curriculum implementation [49].…”

“…Finally, Bedoya-Rodriguez et al (2022) [55] assessed the presence and abundance of mosquito species capable of transmitting infectious diseases within a school situated in the Cauca district. Additionally, the study aimed to educate students about self-care practices and environmental stewardship to safeguard themselves from vector-borne diseases.…”

“…The review's nine articles were published between 2012 and 2022, with the most recent being published in 2022 [50,55], three published in 2021 [51,52,54], and two published in 2017 [47,53]. Kabir et al was published in 2015 [48] and Keselman et al in 2012 [49].…”

“…The research was conducted in various countries and represented diverse geographical areas. Two papers were published in China [50,54], and the rest were all published in different countries, namely Greece [47], Bangladesh [48], US [49], Ghana [51], Lao [52], United Kingdom [53], and Colombia [55]. All studies focused on primary and secondary school; however, varying school grades or age groups were studied, ranging from grade 1 to grade 11 and including ages up to 15.…”

“…Three studies focused on grades 5 to 11, namely grade 5-6 [47], grade 6-10 [48], and 6-11 [55], with the two latter being secondary school students. However, the rest of the papers did not mention the grade level, rather they mentioned the age, where they ranged from 7-10 years old.…”