Preliminary results on the control of Aedes spp. in a remote Guatemalan community vulnerable to dengue, chikungunya and Zika virus: community participation and use of low-cost ecological ovillantas for mosquito control

To study the effectiveness of an integrated intervention of health Objective: worker training, a low-cost ecological mosquito ovitrap, and community engagement on spp. mosquito control over 10 months in 2015 in an Aedes urban remote community in Guatemala at risk of dengue, chikungunya and Zika virus transmission. We implemented a three-component integrated intervention Methods: consisting of: web-based training of local health personnel in vector control, cluster-randomized assignment of an ecological modified ovitrap (ovillantas: ovi=egg, llanta=tire) or standard ovitraps to capture mosquito eggs Aedes spp. (no efforts have been taken to determine the exact species at this Aedes moment), and community engagement to promote participation of community members and health personnel in the understanding and maintenance of ovitraps for mosquito control. The intervention was implemented in local collaboration with Guatemala’s Ministry of Health’s Vector Control Programme, and in international collaboration with the National Institute of Public Health in Mexico. Eighty percent of the 25 local health personnel enrolled in the Findings: training programme received accreditation of their improved knowledge of vector control. When ovillantas were used in a cluster of ovitraps (several in proximity), significantly more eggs were trapped by ecological ovillantas than standard ovitraps over the 10 month (42 week) study period (t=5.2577; p<0.05). Repetitive filtering and recycling of the attractant solution (or water) kept the ovillanta clean, free from algae growth. Among both community members and health workers, the levels of knowledge, interest, and participation in community mosquito control and trapping increased. 1 2 2