Larval habitats of Aedes albopictus (Skuse) in rural areas of Calicut, Kerala, India.

The role of Aedes albopictus (Skuse) in the spread of many arboviral infections including dengue and chikungunya is now well-documented1–3. Aedes albopictus currently shows a global presence and recognized as a major threat to human health. In India, re-emergence of chikungunya has been reported from several states since 20054. Aedes aegypti (Linnaeus) plays a key role in the transmission in various states of India. Observations in Kerala showed the occurrence of Ae. albopictus, the Asian tiger mosquito, as a principal vector in hilly, rural and suburban environment in the affected areas5–7. Kerala has now become an endemic state for dengue and chikungunya. Hundreds of cases of chikungunya and dengue reported every year since 2006 from different districts of Kerala. In Calicut district, the cases recorded an increase throughout the study period (2006–09) and a major outbreak of chikungunya was reported during 2009 in many rural and plantation regions. A study was conducted from 2006–09 in the rural areas around Calicut City, Kerala to find out the major larval habitats of Ae. albopictus and with an objective to evolve a targeted source reduction programme and thus to enhance the effectiveness of the control strategy.