The possible role of entomological surveillance in mosquito-borne disease prevention

Abstract

Current GIS technologies and laboratory diagnostic capacities are strongly improving the potentiality of vector monitoring and vector-borne disease surveillance programs. When the entomological/veterinary surveillance activities are organized and implemented with the support of a strong baseline of bio-environmental data set, they are showing to be of high usefulness for the early detection of invasive exotic mosquito species and the definition of the colonized area; the risk assessment of vector borne diseases such as Dengue and CHIK throughout vector density estimation at local scale; the surveillance of arboviruses activity in large areas; and the support to epidemiological understanding of vector borne diseases. The efficiency of the surveillance program may be optimized and related costs reduced, by the progressive introduction of GIS satellite supported technologies, by the progressive understanding of the role played by environmental determinants, and by the introduction of more efficient methods of sampling.