Aedes Indices and Their Significance on the Evaluation of the Dengue Control Activities in Rajapalayam Municipality of Tamil Nadu, India

Abstract

This study was proposed to understand the significance of Aedes indices, House Index (HI), Container Index (CI) and Breteau Index (BI) for the evaluation of dengue control in Rajapalayam municipality of Tamil Nadu, India.Rajapalayam Municipality is situated in Virudhunagar District of Tamil Nadu, India (Latitude 9 ° 45’N; Longitude 77 ° 55’E). The basic epidemiological stratification was made in wards based on deaths and number of Ig-M positive cases of dengue. To collect data on Aedes indices, door to door cross sectional entomological surveillance was carried out in houses and their peri-domestic areas up to 200 meters. It is expressed in terms of percent HI, CI and BI (absolute number). These data were taken to evaluate the impact of the strategy implemented in Rajapalayam municipality. Necessary statistical analysis was made by the SPSS IBM Company, Chicago-3, and USA. The following results have been arrived from the study were: 1 stratification or delimitation is the foremost step to prioritize like high, moderate and low magnitude based on criteria prevailed in a place of outbreak to implement appropriate interventions. 2 The incubation of dengue serovars in human (3-14 days) is related to determine the days required for halting the outbreak. 3 Times taken to control measures exceeded 14 ± 1 days shown lacunae in our intervention. 4 Degrees of involvement among workers and supervisors in dengue control lead to halting the outbreak in time. 5 And also learnt that the thresholds of Aedes indices have been taken in part to stop the dengue outbreak. Stratification or delimitation is the prime tool to understand the magnitude of the problem in an outbreak. Aedes indices and their threshold are still effective evaluating tools along with their attributes.