Control of the Asian tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus) in a firmly established area in Spain: risk factors and people’s involvement Gisela Chebabi Abramides a , David Roiz b , Raimon Guitart c , Salvador Quintana d and Nuria Gime ´nez c,e, * a ICTA, Universitat Auto `noma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; b Wetland Ecology Department, Don ˜ ana Biological Station, Sevilla, Spain; c Laboratory of Toxicology, Universitat Auto `noma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; d Hospital Universitari Mu ´tuaTerrassa, Research Foundation Mu ´tua Terrassa, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; e Research Unit, Research Foundation Mu ´tuaTerrassa, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain *Corresponding author: Present address: Research Unit, Research Foundation Mu ´tuaTerrassa, Universitat de Barcelona, C/ Sant Antoni, 19. E-08221 Terrassa, Barcelona, Spain. Tel: +34 93 581 12 99; Fax: +34 93 581 29 59; E-mail: nuria.gimenez@uab.cat Received 13 April 2013; revised 31 July 2013; accepted 19 August 2013 Background: The tiger mosquito is a competent vector of dengue and chikungunya in Europe. Therefore, evalu- ating control strategies is a priority. In this work we aimed to determine the key factors affecting Aedes albopictus production, the preferred larval habitats, and we explored the involvement of the citizens in Sant Cugat, Spain. Methods: A source-reduction campaign including door-to-door visits and interviews to local inhabitants (2008–2010) and larval surveys (2010) was carried out. Results: Civil workers inspected 3720 premises and interviewed 820 local inhabitants. Larval habitats, detected in 7.2% of the premises (n¼266), were negatively associated with primary residence OR¼0.4 (95% CI 0.3–0.6); and positively associated with schools OR¼2.4 (95% CI 1.1–5.0), solid waste OR¼5.1 (95% CI 3.0–8.9), scuppers OR¼5.0 (95% CI 3.5–7.3) among other variables. Preventive measures were taken by 83.2% of householders (n¼682). In 2010, 10.3% more citizens claimed to avoid having stagnant water compared with 2008. Simultan- eously another 10.3% stopped using insecticides. Conclusion: Solid waste, scuppers and vegetable gardens were found to be important factors characterizing premises with larval habitats. People claimed to know about this insect and they considered it to be an important issue that diminished their quality of life. Keywords: Aedes albopictus, Public health, Mosquito control, Invasive species, Disease vectors, Source reduction Introduction The Asian tiger mosquito Aedes (Stegomyia) albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae) is an invasive species native to Southeast Asia that in the last four decades has become established in several countries in five continents. 1,2 It is an efficient vector of various arbo- viroses, 3,4 of which dengue and chikungunya are the most import- ant diseases that could undergo outbreaks in Europe transmitted by the tiger mosquito. 5–7 Chikungunya reached Italy in 2007 with over 250 autochthonous cases diagnosed. 8,9 Since then two more autochthonous cases have been diagnosed in France in 2010. 10 Dengue virus is spreading rapidly through tropical and subtropical countries, 11 and is considered the largest public health problem in the tropics. 12 Isolated autochthon- ous transmission cases of dengue virus were diagnosed in France in 2010 10 and Croatia. 13,14 In Spain, after the first detection of the invasive species Ae. albopictus in Sant Cugat, Catalonia, in 2004, 15–17 the number of affected municipalities has increased to 283 Catalan munici- palities and has expanded to other parts of Spain. 18 Up to 2013, Ae. albopictus has been only considered to be only a particularly annoying pest by the population due to its aggressiveness and diurnal activity, but the potential risk of disease exists: during 2006–2007 it was detected in Spain that 9.4% of travellers return- ing from endemic areas (a total of 308 passengers, 9 of them in Catalonia) with fever or joint pains, were Chikungunya virus positive. 19 Integrated Vector Management (IVM) programs, which include interventions that use educational programs and chemical or biological methods for vector control, have been suggested as they may encompass more powerful effects of dengue vector control. 20 Monitoring of vector populations through entomolo- gical surveillance makes it possible to identify areas with a high density of infestation and decide on appropriate measures. Programs for control applied worldwide emphasize the import- ance of involving people whose dwellings have potential larval # The Author 2013. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Royal Societyof Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com. ORIGINAL ARTICLE Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg 2013; 107: 1–9 doi:10.1093/trstmh/trt093 1 Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene Advance Access published October 10, 2013 by guest on October 11, 2013 http://trstmh.oxfordjournals.org/ Downloaded from by guest on October 11, 2013 http://trstmh.oxfordjournals.org/ Downloaded from by guest on October 11, 2013 http://trstmh.oxfordjournals.org/ Downloaded from by guest on October 11, 2013 http://trstmh.oxfordjournals.org/ Downloaded from by guest on October 11, 2013 http://trstmh.oxfordjournals.org/ Downloaded from by guest on October 11, 2013 http://trstmh.oxfordjournals.org/ Downloaded from by guest on October 11, 2013 http://trstmh.oxfordjournals.org/ Downloaded from by guest on October 11, 2013 http://trstmh.oxfordjournals.org/ Downloaded from by guest on October 11, 2013 http://trstmh.oxfordjournals.org/ Downloaded from