Challenges and future perspective for dengue vector control in the Western Pacific Region.

Dengue remains a significant public health issue in the Western Pacific Region. In the absence of a vaccine, vector control is the mainstay for dengue prevention and control. In this paper we describe vector surveillance and vector control in the Western Pacific countries and areas.

Spatial genetic structure of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes in mainland Southeast Asia.

Aedes aegypti mosquitoes originated in Africa and are thought to have spread recently to Southeast Asia, where they are the major vector of dengue. Thirteen microsatellite loci were used to determine the genetic population structure of A. aegypti at a hierarchy of spatial scales encompassing 36 sites in Myanmar, Cambodia and Thailand, and two sites in Sri Lanka and Nigeria.

Mitochondrial pseudogenes in the nuclear genome of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes: implications for past and future population genetic studies.

Background: Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is widely used in population genetic and phylogenetic studies in animals. However, such studies can generate misleading results if the species concerned contain nuclear copies of mtDNA (Numts) as these may amplify in addition to, or even instead of, the authentic target mtDNA. The aim of this study was to determine if Numts are present in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, to characterise any Numts detected, and to assess the utility of using mtDNA for population genetics studies in this species.

Cost-effectiveness of annual targeted larviciding campaigns in Cambodia against the dengue vector Aedes aegypti.

Objective: To assess the cost-effectiveness (CE) of annual targeted larviciding campaigns from 2001 to 2005 against the dengue vector Aedes aegypti in two urban areas of Cambodia with a population of 2.9 million people.

Methods: The intervention under analysis consisted of annual larviciding campaigns targeting medium to large water storage containers in households and other premises.

Spatial, environmental and entomological risk factors analysis on a rural dengue outbreak in Lundu District in Sarawak, Malaysia.

The objective of this study was to elucidate the association of various risk factors with dengue cases reported in Lundu district, Sarawak, by analyzing the interaction between environmental, entomological, socio-demographic factors. Besides conventional entomological, serological and house surveys, this study also used GIS technology to generate geographic and environmental data on Aedes albopictus and dengue transmission. Seven villages were chosen based on the high number of dengue cases reported.