Abstract
Dengue is placing huge burdens on the Malaysian healthcare system as well as the economy. With the expansion in the number of high-rise residential buildings, particularly in the urban centers, the flight range and behavior of Aedes mosquitoes may be altered in this habitat type. In this study, we aimed to expand the understanding of the vertical distribution and dispersal of Aedes in nine selected high-rise residences in Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, and Johor using ovitraps as the sampling method. We discovered that Ae. aegypti is the predominant species in all study sites. Both Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus are most abundant within the first three levels and could be found up to level 21 (approximately 61.1–63.0 m). Pearson correlation analyses exhibited negative correlations in eight out of nine study sites between the ovitrap indexes (OIs) within each floor level, suggesting that Aedes density decreased as the building level increased. Our findings provide information to the public health authorities on ‘hot spot’ floors for effective suppression of dengue transmission.
Highlights
Dengue is a vector-borne infectious disease with an estimated 100–400 million infections annually [1]
The overall results showed that the ovitrap indexes (OIs) varied quite considerably between the nine study sites, with Apartmen Pesona (AP) exhibiting the highest OI (63.00 ± 3.40%), followed by Taman Kempas Permai (TKP) (55.00 ± 2.40%) and Apartmen Sri Wangi (ASW) (51.00 ± 2.70%) (Table 2)
Paired samples t-test analysis indicated that the mean number of Ae. aegypti larvae per ovitrap was significantly higher than that of Ae. albopictus in all study sites (p ≤ 0.05), demonstrating that Ae. aegypti is the predominant species in all sites studied
Summary
Dengue is a vector-borne infectious disease with an estimated 100–400 million infections annually [1]. Efficacious and cost-effective vaccines and antiviral drugs against these four serotypes are still under various stages of research and development [3,4]. Until dengue vaccines or antiviral drugs become available, the only current method proven to be effective in dengue control and prevention is vector control measures that could be sustained through community involvement [1]. The primary mosquito vector for dengue is Aedes aegypti, while Ae. albopictus is recognized as the secondary vector [2]. These two Aedes species are prevalent in Malaysia where they can coexist in similar ecological niches [7]
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