Comparative study of the efficiency of larval and ovitraps for the surveillance of dengue and yellow fever vectors

Abstract

A comparative study of the efficiency of ovitraps and larval-traps was undertaken with a view to improving the entomological survey of vectors of Dengue and Yellow Fever - Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus - in S. Paulo State, Brazil. The region studied is infested only by Aedes albopictus, a species that keeps to wild habitats but colonizes artificial breeding grounds as well. The first part of the study was located in a periurban area of Tremembé county were 3 hollon trees, 23 ovitraps and 5 larval-traps were compared. The second part of these experiments took place in Lavrinhas county (Pinheiros district), where 20 ovitraps and 5 larval-traps were tested. The results showed that the ovitrap was more efficiente than larval-traps and were positive even in the presence of natural breeding grounds. It was also observed un the evaluation of the results of "thermonebulization (fog)" that the ovitraps showed strong reduction in the average number of eggs, but this was not observed in the Breteau Index.