MONTHLY REPORT ON DENGUE

ENTOMOLOGICAL SURVEILLANCE
A publication of the National Dengue Control Unit
Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka





Public Health Complex, 555/5, Elvitigala Mawatha, Narahenpita, Colombo 05.
Tel : +94(0)112368416 / 7 Fax: +94(0)11 2369893 Email: ndcu2010@yahoo.com
Web : http://www.dengue.health.gov.lk
Vol.01 Issue No 03 July 2014


Common plant species (leaf axils) as breeding sites
for vectors of Dengue in Sri Lanka

Aedes mosquitoes breed preferentially in several
kinds of containers and its presence has also been
reported in different types of leaf axils such as
Banana(Musa spp.), Habarala(Alocasia), Kiri
ala(Colocasia), Dracaena, Wetakeyia(Pandanus),
Pineapple (Ananas comosus) and other bromeliads
which behave as containers. Contribution of those
plant species as breeding sites of mosquitoes is likely
to increase with the volume of water per water-
holding leaf axil, the number of water-holding leaf
axils per plant and their abundance in an area.
Being an agricultural country, removal or destruction
of economically important plant species creates a
controversy. In Sri Lanka, removing or destroying
plants especially during the periods with high rates of
dengue transmission to control vector densities
despite uncertainty as to their contribution as
breeding sites of vectors of dengue has been reported.
Evidence based approach should guide proper
removal, destruction or application of vector control
methods for potentially risky plants accordingly.
In 2011, Western Province(Colombo and Gampaha
districts) four species of plants with water holding
axils(Banana, Pinapple, Habarala and Kiri ala) were
surveyed in randomly selected localities during South
Western monsoon rain season (May and June).
Total of 7911 leaf axils of 517 plants have been
studied. Of them, 35.46% (183) of the plants were
positive for any type of mosquito larvae or pupae
where 04 genera of mosquito larvae i.e. Malaya spp.,
Tripteroides spp., Armigeres spp., and Aedes spp.
were collected. The Aedes spp. was identified as Ae.
albopictus. Aedes aegypti ,the principal epidemic
vector of Dengue virus was not found in any of these
plants during the study. Overall occupancy of plants
by any mosquito larvae was highest in Habarala
(80.9%) followed by Pineapple(37.8%), Banana
(15.8%) and Kiri ala(4.9%) respectively(Figure01).
Occupancy by Ae. albopictus was highest among the
Habarala plants(31.8%) and lowest among Kiri ala
plants(1.9%).

Figure 01: Percentage occupancy of plants by
mosquito larvae and all pupae
Similar pattern for all mosquito pupae were also
seen (Figure 01)
Highest yields of all mosquito larvae present per
plant and the larvae of Ae. albopictus per plant
was with Habarala(3.5%,0.74%) followed by
Pineapple(0.9%,0.3%). The lowest yields were
from Kiri ala and Banana(Figure 02).

Figure 02 Percentage occupancy of plants by mosquito
larvae and all pupae per plant
These results indicate that Habarala plant
contributes the most for breeding of Ae.
albopictus followed by Pineapple compared to
the other two plant species. But considering the
abundance of these plants, Pineapple may
contribute most as breeding sites for Dengue
vectors while the contribution of Kiri ala would be
the lowest.
Reference :
1.Ariyapema VS. Contribution of leaf axils of common plant species
as breeding sites for vectors of dengue in Sri Lanka. In SLAAS 2013;
2013; Colombo.
[NB: NDCU specially thank Dr.Subhashinie
Ariyapema, Entomologist, Department of Health
Services-Western Province for providing her
research findings to produce this article.]
Contents Page
1. Common plant species (leaf axils) as breeding sites for vectors of Dengue in Sri Lanka
2. Entomological Forecast
3. Island wide Entomological Surveillance Summary -2014 June
1
2
2
80.9
37.34
15.83
4.9
24.5
4.3 6.7
1.9
31.82
21.62
8.33
1.96
Habarala Pinapple Banana Kiri ala
All larvae All pupae Aedes larvae
3.48
0.92
0.28
0.09
0.38
0.05
0.08
0.03
0.74
0.32
0.15
0.06
Habarala Pinapple Banana Kiri ala
All larvae All pupae Aedes larvae

Comments and contributions for publication in the MRDES Sri Lanka are welcome. Prior approval should be obtained from the NDCU before
publishing data in this publication.
MRDES Sri Lanka - Vol.01 Issue No 03 July 2014
Table 1: Dengue Entomological Surveillance - 2014 June Summary


P
r
o
v
i
n
c
e

D
i
s
t
r
i
c
t

No. of Premises Percentage Positivity by type of containers

I
n
s
p
e
c
t
e
d

F
o
u
n
d

p
o
s
i
t
i
v
e

%

P
o
s
i
t
i
v
e

D
i
s
c
a
r
d
e
d

r
e
c
e
p
t
a
c
l
e
s

W
a
t
e
r

s
t
o
r
a
g
e

c
o
n
t
a
i
n
e
r
s

C
e
m
e
n
t

t
a
n
k
s

C
o
n
c
r
e
t
e

s
l
a
b

N
a
t
u
r
a
l

A
/
C


&


R

P

&

O

W
e
l
l
s

O
t
h
e
r
s

WP
Colombo 446 11 2.46 23% 5% 0% 2% 2% 2% 3% 0% 63%
Colombo MC 442 29 6.56 20% 15% 8% 8% 2% 8% 8% 0% 31%
Gampaha 1,428 131 9.17 43% 8% 0% 0% 18% 2% 2% 0% 27%
Kalutara 2,022 129 6.37 51% 7% 0% 0% 21% 0% 2% 0% 19%
NWP
Kurunegala 1,147 57 4.96 50% 21% 9% 0% 7% 0% 4% 0% 9%
Puttalam 125 2 1.6 0% 0% 100% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0%
UP
Monaragala 2,002 80 3.99 39% 40% 0% 0% 2% 0% 2% 0% 17%
Badulla 752 57 7.57 18% 35% 23% 1% 3% 4% 1% 0% 15%
CP
Matale 1,261 38 3.01 38% 0% 52% 3% 2% 0% 0% 0% 5%
Nuwara Eliya * * * * * * * * * * * *
Kandy 1,461 94 6.43 22% 15% 17% 7% 10% 13% 1% 0% 15%
EP
Batticaloa 600 16 2.66 12% 29% 6% 0% 0% 6% 0% 41% 6%
Kalmunai 400 15 3.75 13% 19% 12% 0% 6% 0% 6% 31% 13%
Trincomalee 748 12 1.6 23% 31% 31% 0% 0% 15% 0% 0% 0%
Ampara 200 9 4.5 50% 20% 0% 0% 0% 0% 20% 0% 10%
NCP
Anuradhapura 290 14 4.82 48% 10% 7% 0% 0% 0% 4% 0% 31%
Polonnaruwa 267 10 3.74 37% 18% 27% 0% 0% 9% 9% 0% 0%
SGP
Kegalle 1,080 164 15.18 41% 18% 7% 1% 5% 4% 1% 0% 23%
Rathnapura 1,605 160 9.96 29% 9% 1% 0% 17% 6% 0% 0% 38%
SP
Galle 248 8 3.22 25% 0% 0% 0% 0% 25% 50% 0% 0%
Matara 966 111 11.49 56% 18% 5% 1% 3% 8% 3% 0% 6%
Hambantota 617 48 7.77 10% 42% 24% 0% 0% 6% 8% 0% 10%
NP
Jaffna 700 9 1.28 29% 14% 57% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0%
Mannar 500 65 13.0 3% 93% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 4%
Killinochchi 207 4 1.93 50% 25% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 25%
Vavuniya 801 15 1.87 20% 25% 30% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 25%
Mullativu * * * * * * * * * * * *
Sri Lanka
20,315 1,288 6.34 36% 20% 8% 1% 9% 4% 2% 1% 19%
RDHS
Premises
Inspected
No. found
positive
Positive
%
Colombo 726 41 5.64
Gampaha 140 20 14.28
Table 2
Entomological Surveillance Data by MRI team
during June 2014
A
d
d
r
e
s
s
:


Director,
National Dengue Control Unit,
Public Health Complex,
555/5, Elvitigala Mawatha,
Colombo 05.
Address:

Key: This report is based on the weekly returns sent by Entomological Assistants (EAA) to N DCU. P & O- Ponds and Ornamentals; R
Refrigerators ; * No data ; Others- Tyres, Roof gutters and other miscellaneous places (eg. Tube wells, Earth pipes, Water meters, etc)
Entomological Forecast of High-Risk Areas

RDHS MO(O)H
CMC D2A
Colombo Hanwella,Homagama
Gampaha Minuwangoda
Moneragala Badalkumbura
Kandy Pathadumbura
Kegalle Bulathkohupitiya,Daraniyagala
Rathnapura Elapatha
Matara Dondra
Jaffna Uduvil, Nallur
Mannar Mannar