A brief review and guidance on the spatiotemporal sampling designs for disease vector surveillance

Abstract

Obtaining a representative sample of disease vectors (mosquitoes, flies, ticks, etc.) is essential for researchers to draw meaningful conclusions about the entire vector population in a target study area and during a specific study period. To achieve this, a carefully chosen surveillance design is required to ensure that the sample captures essential spatial and temporal variations in the target vector population(s) and/or that the study results can be generalized to the entire population. Designed-based and model-based spatiotemporal sampling (or in our context surveillance) designs can be used to maximize information gain within given resource constraints. In this paper, we aim to offer a concise overview of common spatiotemporal field sampling designs, their advantages and disadvantages and their practical applications in the context of surveillance and management of vector-borne diseases. At the end of the article, we offer guidance to help vector-borne disease surveillance planners design effective spatiotemporal surveillance interventions.