title: Irregular water supply, household usage and dengue: a bio-social study in the Brazilian Northeast.
abstract: Despite increased vector control efforts, dengue fever remains endemic in Fortaleza, Northeast Brazil, where sporadic epidemic outbreaks have occurred since 1986. Multiple factors affect vector ecology such as social policy, migration, urbanization, city water supply, garbage disposal and housing conditions, as well as community level understanding of the disease and related practices. This descriptive study used a multi-disciplinary approach that bridged anthropology and entomology. A multiple case study design was adopted to include research in six study areas, defined as blocks. The water supply is irregular in households from both under-privileged and privileged areas, however, clear differences exist. In the more privileged blocks, several homes are not connected to the public water system, but have a well and pump system and therefore irregularity of supply does not affect them. In households from under-privileged blocks, where the water supply is irregular, the frequent use of water containers such as water tanks, cisterns, barrels and pots, creates environmental conditions with a greater number of breeding areas. In under-privileged homes, there are more possible breeding areas and environmental conditions that may improve the chances of Aedes aegypti survival.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Saúde Pública, Universidade Estadual do Ceará, Fortaleza, Brasil. caprara@uece.br
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Caprara
authors.forename: José Wellington de Oliveira
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Lima
authors.forename: Alice Correia Pequeno
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Marinho
authors.forename: Paola Gondim
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Calvasina
authors.forename: Lucyla Paes
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Landim
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sommerfeld
mesh_terms: D000330:Aedes / Q000254:growth & development*; D000818:Animals; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D003715:Dengue / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D017753:Ecosystem; D005735:Garbage; D006798:Housing / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007303:Insect Vectors / Q000254:growth & development*; D009032:Mosquito Control; D011203:Poverty / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D036301:Qualitative Research; D014881:Water Supply / Q000592:standards*