Breteau Index threshold levels indicating risk for dengue transmission in areas with low Aedes infestation.
We used Breteau Indices to - retrospectively - predict dengue transmission. The presence of one house block (on average about 50 houses) with a Breteau Index >or=4 in a neighbourhood (a block plus the surrounding blocks in a radius of 100 m) predicted transmission at the latter level with 81.8% sensitivity and 73.3% specificity during the first month of the Havana 2001 dengue outbreak. This result corroborates the external validity of this threshold, at least in situations with low infestations levels.
Sanchez
L
L
Tropical Medicine Institute 'Pedro Kouri', Havana City, Cuba. lsanchez@ipk.sld.cu
Cortinas
J
J
Pelaez
O
O
Gutierrez
H
H
Concepción
D
D
Van der Stuyft
P
P
D000330:Aedes; D000818:Animals; D003462:Cuba / Q000453:epidemiology; D003715:Dengue / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission*; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D040362:Geographic Information Systems; D006798:Housing / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007303:Insect Vectors; D009032:Mosquito Control