Abate Waldetensai*, Chalachew Sisay, Yosef Asrat, Yared Debebe, Solomon Kinde, Alemnesh H/mariam, Melaku Seyum, Yeweynshet Tesera, Mesfin Wosen, Wondatir Nigatu, AlemayehuTadese, Jemal Mohammed, Geremew Tasew, Araya Eukubay
Background: In depth understanding of the ecology and behavior of Aedes aegypti has paramount importance for implementation of innovative vector control strategies. The main objective of this study was to assess resting sites of A. aegypti as a risk of dengue fever transmission in Eastern Ethiopia.
Methods: A cross sectional study design was used with simple random sampling techniques in six sites from August to October 2020.
Results: A total of 758 mosquitoes belonging Aedes 356 (47%), Anopheles 221 (29.2%) and Culex 181 (23.9%) genera were collected. 149 houses were confirmed for the presence of A. aegypti with adult index 62.1% of which Gendegerada (88%), Goro (75%), Dechatu (58%) and Legehare (53%). A. aegypti was found to rest highly in bed, bedroom and living room followed by store room and kitchen. Most A. aegypti were collected from indoor walls, ceilings, curtains, roof, underside of furniture and wall hangers. The number of outdoor resting A. aegypti was low (84, 23.6%) compared to indoor resting surfaces (272, 76.4%). In a total, 113 (34.7%) fed, 54 (16.6%) unfed and 83 (25.5%) gravid Aedes aegypti were collected from indoor whereas 32 (9.8%) fed, 25 (7.7%) unfed and 19 (5.8%) were from outdoor
Conclusion: The presence of diverse resting surfaces in indoor and outdoor and the progressing history of disease outbreak of dengue in the study area may inspire an intensification of regular vector surveillance and applying the appropriate control activities in Ethiopia. Further investigations are needed to see if the populations of this species from other localities in Ethiopia have the same resting behavior.
