Background: The strategy for prevention and control of Aedes-borne diseases relies on timely elimination of key breeding containers. There is thus a crucial need to identify key breeding containers to enhance vector control activities. The visual larval survey of wet containers has then been conducted as a routine mission of the Department of Disease Control (DDC). To facilitate this, DDC has deployed a mobile application, namely TanRabad SURVEY, since May 2016. As per an inspected place, TanRabad SURVEY supports the real-time collection of its larval survey data and processing of its larval indices and key breeding containers.
Methods: Larval survey data from 2017 to 2019 were spatially and temporally collected by public health officials via TanRabad SURVEY. Several measurements were computed to identify the overall and regional key breeding containers and places; and the regional transmission potentiality of Aedes-borne diseases. The measurements for identifying essential containers were breeding potentiality, productivity, contribution and preference ratio. As for places, the larval productivity of places based on larval indices was employed. Such place productivity was also implemented for discovering the regional transmission potentiality of Aedes-borne diseases.
Results: The overall essential breeding containers were water tank, unused containers, other used containers, old tyres, anti-ant bowls, drip tray of water dispensers, pet bowls and plant leaves. As for regional aspects, different regions had different essential breeding containers wherein their most common containers were unused containers, other used containers, old tyres and drip tray of water dispensers. All regions had similar experiences that villages and temples were the top two riskiest places, followed by schools, factories, hotels and hospitals. Additionally, all regions had high transmission potentiality of Aedes-borne disease as above 30 of all their places were moderate and high risk places.
Conclusions: This study identified the overall and regional key breeding containers and places along with the regional transmission potentiality of Aedes-borne diseases. Beside this, the empirical evidence had shown that the breeding productivity of most containers and places in each type was gradually decreased from time to time. This was mainly because TanRabad SURVEY supported real-time risk communication to community participants and effective prevention and control program development.