Larval Source Management (LSM) in Mauritius

Figure 1. Mauritius Larval Source Management (LSM) in Mauritius Malaria was first introduced to the island of Mauritius from mainland Africa during the mid 19 century [1]. Over a century of malaria control campaigns ensued, including large indoor residual spraying (IRS) operations and widespread larval source management (LSM) projects [2]. Mauritius was declared malariafree in 1973 by the World Health Organization [3]. However, after a series of cyclones from 1975 to 1976, the country saw a resurgence of Plasmodium vivax when migrant workers from malaria endemic countries arrived on the island to repair the damage caused by these cyclones. Once again, the country assumed a control campaign with IRS, larviciding and robust surveillance. Since 1997 no indigenous cases of malaria have been reported in Mauritius and the country is now in the ‘prevention of reintroduction’ phase [4]. LSM remains a mainstay of the Prevention of Reintroduction Program (PRP), along with a strong surveillance system and a passenger screening program.