Photo Credit: Jojo Dexter
The following is a summary of “Influence of gender and temephos exposure on community participation in dengue prevention: a compartmental mathematical model,” published in the May 2024 issue of Infectious Disease by Alvarado-Castro et al.
Researchers conducted a retrospective study to compare the effectiveness of temephos and community participation in controlling the Aedes aegypti mosquito population.
They employed a robust methodology, utilizing data from the Camino Verde cluster randomized controlled trial and a compartmental mathematical model to analyze the dynamics of dengue infection. The study took into account the gender of the respondent and their exposure to temephos, examining the impact of these factors on various levels of community participation.
The results from the simulation of dengue endemicity indicated a notable impact of community participation on the primary reproductive number of infected individuals. Specifically, when considering dengue transmission dynamics, the combined intervention involving temephos and community engagement yielded the most pronounced short-term effect regarding the number of individuals contracting the virus. Interestingly, despite the initial intervention, there was a lack of evidence suggesting a protective effect from temephos after 220 days following the initiation of dengue spread.
Investigators concluded that while community participation alone showed promise for long-term Aedes aegypti control, incorporating temephos did not provide additional benefit.
Source: bmcinfectdis.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12879-024-09341-w