title: Integrating the public in mosquito management: active education by community peers can lead to significant reduction in peridomestic container mosquito habitats.
abstract: Mosquito species that utilize peridomestic containers for immature development are commonly aggressive human biters, and because they often reach high abundance, create significant nuisance. One of these species, the Asian tiger mosquito Aedes albopictus, is an important vector of emerging infectious diseases, such as dengue, chikungunya, and Zika fevers. Integrated mosquito management (IMM) of Ae. albopictus is particularly difficult because it requires access to private yards in urban and suburban residences. It has become apparent that in the event of a public health concern due to this species, homeowners will have to be active participants in the control process by reducing mosquito habitats in their properties, an activity known as source reduction. However, limited attempts at quantifying the effect of source reduction by homeowners have had mixed results. Of note, many mosquito control programs in the US have some form of education outreach, however the primary approach is often passive focusing on the distribution of education materials as flyers. In 2010, we evaluated the use of active community peer education in a source reduction program, using AmeriCorps volunteers. The volunteers were mobilized over a 4-week period, in two areas with approximately 1,000 residences each in urban Mercer and suburban Monmouth counties in New Jersey, USA. The volunteers were first provided training on peridomestic mosquitoes and on basic approaches to reducing the number of container habitats for mosquito larvae in backyards. Within the two treatment areas the volunteers successfully engaged 758 separate homes. Repeated measures analysis of variance showed a significant reduction in container habitats in the sites where the volunteers actively engaged the community compared to untreated control areas in both counties. Our results suggest that active education using community peer educators can be an effective means of source reduction, and a critical tool in the arsenal against peridomestic mosquitoes.
authors.affiliation: Center for Vector Biology, Department of Entomology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey, United States of America.
authors.forename: Kristen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Healy
authors.affiliation: Center for Vector Biology, Department of Entomology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey, United States of America.
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hamilton
authors.affiliation: Monmouth County Mosquito Extermination Commission, Eatontown, New Jersey, United States of America.
authors.forename: Taryn
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Crepeau
authors.affiliation: Monmouth County Mosquito Extermination Commission, Eatontown, New Jersey, United States of America.
authors.forename: Sean
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Healy
authors.affiliation: Mercer County Mosquito Commission, West Trenton, New Jersey, United States of America.
authors.forename: Isik
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Unlu
authors.affiliation: Mercer County Mosquito Commission, West Trenton, New Jersey, United States of America.
authors.forename: Ary
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Farajollahi
authors.affiliation: Center for Vector Biology, Department of Entomology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey, United States of America.
authors.forename: Dina M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Fonseca
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001102:Arbovirus Infections / Q000635:transmission; D003153:Community Health Services; D009033:Culicidae; D006266:Health Education; D006801:Humans; D007303:Insect Vectors; D009032:Mosquito Control; D009515:New Jersey; D015980:Public Health Practice; D012621:Seasons