title: Effects of socio-demographic characteristics and household water management on Aedes aegypti production in suburban and rural villages in Laos and Thailand.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne disease accounting for 50-100 million annual cases globally. Laos and Thailand are countries in south-east Asia where the disease is endemic in both urban and rural areas. Household water storage containers, which are favourable breeding sites for dengue mosquitoes, are common in these areas, due to intermittent or limited access to water supply. This study assessed the effect of household water management and socio-demographic risk factors on Aedes aegypti infestation of water storage containers.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional survey of 239 households in Laos (124 suburban and 115 rural), and 248 households in Thailand (127 suburban and 121 rural) was conducted. Entomological surveys alongside semi-structured interviews and observations were conducted to obtain information on Ae. aegypti infestation, socio-demographic factors and water management. Zero-inflated negative binomial regression models were used to assess risk factors associated with Ae. aegypti pupal infestation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Household water management rather than socio-demographic factors were more likely to be associated with the infestation of water containers with Ae. aegypti pupae. Factors that was significantly associated with Ae. aegypti infestation were tanks, less frequent cleaning of containers, containers without lids, and containers located outdoors or in toilets/bathrooms.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Associations between Ae. aegypti pupae infestation, household water management, and socio-demographic factors were found, with risk factors for Ae. aegypti infestation being specific to each study setting. Most of the containers did not have lids, larvicides, such as temephos was seldom used, and containers were not cleaned regularly; factors are facilitating dengue vector proliferation. It is recommended that, in Lao villages, health messages should promote proper use and maintenance of tightly fitted lids, and temephos in tanks, which were the most infested containers. Recommendations for Thailand are that small water containers should be cleaned weekly. Furthermore, in addition to health messages on dengue control provided to communities, attention should be paid to larval control for indoor containers in rural villages. Temephos or other immature control measures such as the use of pyriproxyfen, antilarval bacteria, or larvivorous fish should be used where temephos resistance is prevalent. Dengue control is not possible without additional adult mosquito control and community participation.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Science and Technology, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway. anandafet@gmail.com.|Champasak Provincial Health Office, Pakse, Lao People's Democratic Republic. anandafet@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Nanthasane
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Vannavong
authors.affiliation: Water and Environmental Engineering Group, Department of Civil Engineering, Institute for Marine Operations and Civil Engineering, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Ålesund, Norway.
authors.forename: Razak
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Seidu
authors.affiliation: SARChl Chair, Institute for Water and Waste Water Technology, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa.
authors.forename: Thor-Axel
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Stenström
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Science and Technology, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway.
authors.forename: Nsa
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Dada
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Science and Technology, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway.|Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), Maladies Infectieuses et Vecteurs, Ecologie, Génétique, Evolution et Contrôle (IRD 224-CNRS 5290 UM1-UM2), Montpellier, Cedex 5, France.
authors.forename: Hans J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Overgaard
mesh_terms: D000330:Aedes / Q000254:growth & development*; D000818:Animals; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003710:Demography; D017753:Ecosystem; D004772:Entomology / Q000379:methods; D005191:Family Characteristics; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D007812:Laos; D011156:Population Density; D012424:Rural Population; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013383:Suburban Population; D013785:Thailand
keywords: Aedes aegypti; Dengue; Laos; Thailand; Water storage