Dengue Vector Surveillance in and around Mormugao Port Trust (MPT) – Goa, India

Abstract

As per the International Health Regulations, it is a moral responsibility on national governments to keep international seaports/airports and peripheral areas up to 400 meters free of vector mosquitoes in its adult and immature stages and the mosquito vectors of other diseases of epidemiological significance. In view of seriousness of the problem, the present study was undertaken in and around Mormugao Port Trust (MPT), Goa (India), to see the prevalence of Aedes mosquito. This study was undertaken in the month of February and December 2016. Inside the port, no larval breeding was detected except in December survey, and 3.85 Breteau Index (BI) was recorded. In Headland Sada (residential colony), breeding was detected with 6.0 and 10.0 BI in February and December 2016 respectively. Similarly, in Jetty village high larval breeding was searched with 9.8 and 8.0 BI in February and December, respectively. In the residential colony, plastic containers used for storing water acted as the main source of larval breeding. These plastic containers were used to store water for long time and maintaining Aedes breeding in adverse condition throughout the year. According to breeding preference ratio (BPR), cement tank showed the highest (4.37) BPR in the month of February while in December BPR was highest for iron drum (27.7) followed by waterstoring plastic container (1.14). These residential colonies are in close vicinity of the seaport. Local factors play an important role in the propagation and prevalence of Aedes mosquito. Routine entomological surveillance is required to monitor the vector prevalence in the residential colonies around the seaport. Baseline surveillance data should be collected regularly to monitor vector prevalence and destroy the breeding sites in and around the seaport.