Protective effect of house screening against indoor Aedes aegypti in Mérida, Mexico: A cluster randomised controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the protective effect of house screening (HS) on indoor Aedes aegypti infestation, abundance and arboviral infection in Merida, Mexico. METHODS: In 2019, we performed a cluster randomised controlled trial (6 control and 6 intervention areas: 100 households/area). Intervention clusters received permanently fixed fiberglass HS on all windows and doors. The study included two cross-sectional entomologic surveys, one baseline (dry season in May 2019) and one post-intervention (PI, rainy season between September and October 2019). The presence and number of indoor Aedes females and blood-fed females (indoor mosquito infestation) as well as arboviral infections with dengue (DENV) and Zika (ZIKV) viruses were evaluated in a subsample of 30 houses within each cluster. RESULTS: HS houses had significantly lower risk for having Aedes aegypti female mosquitoes (odds ratio [OR] = 0.56, 95% CI 0.33-0.97, p = 0.04) and blood-fed females (OR = 0.53, 95% CI 0.28-0.97, p = 0.04) than unscreened households from the control arm. Compared to control houses, HS houses had significantly lower indoor Ae. aegypti abundance (rate ratio [RR] = 0.50, 95% CI 0.30-0.83, p = 0.01), blood-fed Ae. aegypti females (RR = 0.48, 95% CI 0.27-0.85, p = 0.01) and female Ae. aegypti positive for arboviruses (OR = 0.29, 95% CI 0.10-0.86, p = 0.02). The estimated intervention efficacy in reducing Ae. aegypti arbovirus infection was 71%. CONCLUSIONS: These results provide evidence supporting the use of HS as an effective pesticide-free method to control house infestations with Aedes aegypti and reduce the transmission of Aedes-transmitted viruses such as DENV, chikungunya (CHIKV) and ZIKV.

[Effectiveness of commercial repellents against Aedes aegypti (L.) in Yucatan, México]. / Efectividad de repelentes comerciales disponibles contra el mosquito Aedes aegypti (L.) en Yucatán, México.

OBJECTIVE: We assessed the efficacy of commercial repellents available in Yucatan against Aedes aegypti, vector of dengue, Chikungunya and Zika. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Protection time was determined based on WHO/CTD/ WHOPES/IC y la NOM-032-SSA2-20I4. RESULTS: Products with DEET (N, N-diethyl-3-methylbenzamide) at 25% met the recommended protection. Efficacy was directly proportional to the concentration of DEET; botanicals repellents resulted no protective. CONCLUSIONS: Repellents with DEET provided more protection against Ae. aegypti and botanical repellents, including impregnated wristbands, provided no protection.

Use of insecticide-treated house screens to reduce infestations of dengue virus vectors, Mexico.

Dengue prevention efforts rely on control of virus vectors. We investigated use of insecticide-treated screens permanently affixed to windows and doors in Mexico and found that the screens significantly reduced infestations of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes in treated houses. Our findings demonstrate the value of this method for dengue virus vector control.

An assessment of the importance of subsurface catch basins for Aedes aegypti adult production during the dry season in a neighborhood of Merida, Mexico.

We compared the number of adult Aedes aegypti emerging from subsurface catch basins located in the streets against the number of pupae (as a proxy of adults emerging) from the entire container larval habitats found at residential premises within 1 ha of a neighborhood in the Mexican city of Merida during 8 days in the dry season of 2012. Aedes aegypti adults were collected from 60% of the subsurface catch basins. They produced 12 adults/day/ha (95% confidence interval [CI], 6.4 to 17.9), 5 females (95% CI, 2.1 to 7.7), and 7 males (95% CI, 3.8 to 10.7). In contrast, only 7 containers holding water were identified in 30 premises inspected, 1 bucket was positive for Ae. aegypti larvae, but no pupae-positive containers were found. No other mosquito species were found. This study revealed the importance of this type of nonresidential and subterranean aquatic habitat for Ae. aegypti adult production in this neighborhood of Merida during the dry season.

Residual efficacy of the neonicotinoid insecticide clothianidin against pyrethroid-resistant Aedes aegypti.

BACKGROUND: Here we report the residual efficacy of the neonicotinoid insecticide clothianidin against pyrethroid-resistant Aedes aegypti. We first conducted a range-finding evaluation of clothianidin on three different substrates (wall, wood, cloth) using three doses (100, 300 and 600 mg a.i. m-2 ) and conducting World Health Organization (WHO) cone bioassays to assess acute (24 h) and delayed (up to 7 days) mortality. In experimental houses located in Merida (Mexico) and using free-flying pyrethroid-resistant Ae. aegypti females, we quantified the acute and delayed mortality after a 24-h exposure to the targeted indoor residual spraying (TIRS) of two clothianidin doses (100 and 300 mg a.i. m-2 ). RESULTS: Range-finding studies with WHO cones showed low (<50%) acute mortality for all surfaces, doses and times post spraying. Delayed mortality was higher, with average values above or close to the 60% mark (and 95% confidence interval estimates crossing 80% for the 600 mg a.i. m-2 dose). In experimental houses, a similar low acute mortality was quantified (range of mortality across 12 months was 2-44% for 100 mg a.i. m-2 and 8-61% for 300 mg a.i/m2 ). However, delayed mortality showed a strong effect of clothianidin on free-flying Ae. aegypti, with values above 80% up to 7 months post-TIRS. CONCLUSION: Novel residual insecticide molecules have a promising outlook for Ae. aegypti control and can contribute to the expansion and adoption of TIRS in urban areas. clothianidin can contribute to the control of resistant Ae. aegypti and provide residual control for up to 7 months after application. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.

Insecticide-treated house screening protects against Zika-infected Aedes aegypti in Merida, Mexico.

BACKGROUND: The integration of house-screening and long-lasting insecticidal nets, known as insecticide-treated screening (ITS), can provide simple, safe, and low-tech Aedes aegypti control. Cluster randomised controlled trials in two endemic localities for Ae. aegypti of south Mexico, showed that ITS conferred both, immediate and sustained (~2 yr) impact on indoor-female Ae. aegypti infestations. Such encouraging results require further validation with studies quantifying more epidemiologically-related endpoints, including arbovirus infection in Ae. aegypti. We evaluated the efficacy of protecting houses with ITS on Ae. aegypti infestation and arbovirus infection during a Zika outbreak in Merida, Yucatan, Mexico. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: A two-arm cluster-randomised controlled trial evaluated the entomological efficacy of ITS compared to the absence of ITS (with both arms able to receive routine arbovirus vector control) in the neighbourhood Juan Pablo II of Merida. Cross-sectional entomological surveys quantified indoor adult mosquito infestation and arbovirus infection at baseline (pre-ITS installation) and throughout two post-intervention (PI) surveys spaced at 6-month intervals corresponding to dry/rainy seasons over one year (2016-2017). Household-surveys assessed the social reception of the intervention. Houses with ITS were 79-85% less infested with Aedes females than control houses up to one-year PI. A similar significant trend was observed for blood-fed Ae. aegypti females (76-82%). Houses with ITS had significantly less infected female Ae. aegypti than controls during the peak of the epidemic (OR = 0.15, 95%CI: 0.08-0.29), an effect that was significant up to a year PI (OR = 0.24, 0.15-0.39). Communities strongly accepted the intervention, due to its perceived mode of action, the prevalent risk for Aedes-borne diseases in the area, and the positive feedback from neighbours receiving ITS. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: We show evidence of the protective efficacy of ITS against an arboviral disease of major relevance, and discuss the relevance of our findings for intervention adoption.

Efficacy of Long-lasting Insecticidal Nets With Declining Physical and Chemical Integrity on Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae).

Fitting long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLIN) as screens on doors/windows has a significant impact on indoor-adult Aedes aegypti (L.), with entomological reductions measured in a previous study being significant for up to 2 yr post-installation, even in the presence of pyrethroid-resistant Aedes populations. To better understand the mode of LLIN protection, bioassays were performed to evaluate the effects of field deployment (0, 6, and 12 mo) and damage type (none, central, lateral, and multiple) on LLIN efficacy. Contact bioassays confirmed that LLIN residual activity (median knockdown time, in minutes, or MKDT) decreased significantly over time: 6.95 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 5.32-8.58) to 9.24 (95% CI: 8.69-9.79) MKDT at 0- and 12-mo age, respectively, using a pyrethroid-susceptible Aedes strain. Tunnel tests (exposing human forearm for 40 min as attractant) showed that deployment time affected negatively Aedes passage inhibition from 54.9% (95% CI: 43.5-66.2) at 0 mo to 35.7% (95% CI: 16.3-55.1) at 12 mo and blood-feeding inhibition from 65.2% (95% CI: 54.2-76.2) to 48.9% (95% CI: 26.4-71.3), respectively; both the passage/blood-feeding inhibition increased by a factor of 1.8-2.9 on LLINs with multiple and central damages compared with nets with lateral damage. Mosquito mortality was 74.6% (95% CI: 65.3-83.9) at 0 mo, 72.3% (95% CI: 64.1-80.5) at 6 mo, and 59% (95% CI: 46.7-71.3) at 12 mo. Despite the LLIN physical integrity could be compromised over time, we demonstrate that the remaining chemical effect after field conditions would still contribute to killing/repelling mosquitoes.

House screening with insecticide-treated netting provides sustained reductions in domestic populations of Aedes aegypti in Merida, Mexico.

BACKGROUND: There is a need for effective methods to control Aedes aegypti and prevent the transmission of dengue, chikungunya, yellow fever and Zika viruses. Insecticide treated screening (ITS) is a promising approach, particularly as it targets adult mosquitoes to reduce human-mosquito contact. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: A cluster-randomised controlled trial evaluated the entomological efficacy of ITS based intervention, which consisted of the installation of pyrethroid-impregnated long-lasting insecticide-treated netting material fixed as framed screens on external doors and windows. A total of 10 treatment and 10 control clusters (100 houses/cluster) were distributed throughout the city of Merida, Mexico. Cross-sectional entomological surveys quantified indoor adult mosquito infestation at baseline (pre-intervention) and throughout four post-intervention (PI) surveys spaced at 6-month intervals corresponding to dry/rainy seasons over two years (2012-2014). A total of 844 households from intervention clusters (86% coverage) were protected with ITS at the start of the trial. Significant reductions in the indoor presence and abundance of Ae. aegypti adults (OR = 0.48 and IRR = 0.45, P<0.05 respectively) and the indoor presence and abundance of Ae. aegypti female mosquitoes (OR = 0.47 and IRR = 0.44, P<0.05 respectively) were detected in intervention clusters compared to controls. This high level of protective effect was sustained for up to 24 months PI. Insecticidal activity of the ITS material declined with time, with ~70% mortality being demonstrated in susceptible mosquito cohorts up to 24 months after installation. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The strong and sustained entomological impact observed in this study demonstrates the potential of house screening as a feasible, alternative approach to a sustained long-term impact on household infestations of Ae. aegypti. Larger trials quantifying the effectiveness of ITS on epidemiological endpoints are warranted and therefore recommended.

Long-lasting insecticide-treated house screens and targeted treatment of productive breeding-sites for dengue vector control in Acapulco, Mexico.

BACKGROUND: Long-lasting insecticidal net screens (LLIS) fitted to domestic windows and doors in combination with targeted treatment (TT) of the most productive Aedes aegypti breeding sites were evaluated for their impact on dengue vector indices in a cluster-randomised trial in Mexico between 2011 and 2013. METHODS: Sequentially over 2 years, LLIS and TT were deployed in 10 treatment clusters (100 houses/cluster) and followed up over 24 months. Cross-sectional surveys quantified infestations of adult mosquitoes, immature stages at baseline (pre-intervention) and in four post-intervention samples at 6-monthly intervals. Identical surveys were carried out in 10 control clusters that received no treatment. RESULTS: LLIS clusters had significantly lower infestations compared to control clusters at 5 and 12 months after installation, as measured by adult (male and female) and pupal-based vector indices. After addition of TT to the intervention houses in intervention clusters, indices remained significantly lower in the treated clusters until 18 (immature and adult stage indices) and 24 months (adult indices only) post-intervention. CONCLUSIONS: These safe, simple affordable vector control tools were well-accepted by study participants and are potentially suitable in many regions at risk from dengue worldwide.

Efectividad de repelentes comerciales disponibles contra el mosquito Aedes aegypti (L ) en Yucatán, México / Effectiveness of commercial repellents against Aedes aegypti (L ) in Yucatan, México

Resumen: Objetivo: Determinar la eficacia de repelentes comerciales disponibles en Yucatán contra el mosquito Aedes aegypti, vector del dengue, Chikungunya y Zika. Material y métodos: Se determinó el tiempo de protección con base en el protocolo WHO/CTD/WHOPES/IC y la NOM-032-SSA2-2014. Resultados: Sólo el repelente con DEET (N, N-dietil-3-metilbenzamida) al 25% cumplió con la protección recomendada. La eficacia fue directamente proporcional a la concentración del DEET; aquéllos con componentes botánicos fueron poco o nada protectores. Conclusiones: Los resultados muestran que los repelentes con DEET proveen protección contra Ae. Aegypti; los repelentes botánicos, incluyendo las pulseras impregnadas, ofrecen nula protección.

Abstract: Objective: We assessed the efficacy of commercial repellents available in Yucatan against Aedes aegypti, vector of dengue, Chikungunya and Zika. Materials and methods: Protection time was determined based on WHO/CTD/ WHOPES/IC y la NOM-032-SSA2-20I4. Results: Products with DEET (N, N-diethyl-3-methylbenzamide) at 25% met the recommended protection. Efficacy was directly proportional to the concentration of DEET; botanicals repellents resulted no protective. Conclusions: Repellents with DEET provided more protection against Ae. aegypti and botanical repellents, including impregnated wristbands, provided no protection.