Abstract
Background : Dengue’s emergence in WestAfrica was typified by the Burkina Faso outbreaks in 2016 and2017, the nation’s largest to date. In both years, we undertook three-month surveys of Aedes populations in or near the capital city Ouagadougou, where the outbreaks were centered.
Methodology In 1200LG(urban), Tabtenga (peri-urban) and Goundry (rural) localities, we collected indoor andoutdoor resting mosquito adults, characterized larval habitats and containers producing pupae andreared immature stages to adulthood in the laboratory for identification. All mos quito adults were identified morphologically. Host species (from which bloodmeals were taken) were identified by PCR. Generalized mixed models were used to investigate relation ships between adult or larval densities and multiple explanatory variables. Results Fromsamples in 1,780 houses, adult Ae. aegypti were significantly more abundant in the two urban localities (Tabtenga and 1200 LG) in both years than in the rural site (Goundry), where Anopheles spp. were far more common.
Results : From adult collections indicated a highly exophilic and anthropophilic (>90% bloodmeals of human origin) vector population, but with a relatively high proportion of bloodfed females caught inside houses. Habitats producing most pupae were waste tires (37% of total pupae), animal troughs (44%) and large water barrels (30%). While Stegomyia indices were not reliable indicators of adult mosquito abundance, shared influences on adult and immature stage densities included rainfall and container water level, collection month and container type/purpose. Spatial analysis showed autocor relation of densities, with a partial overlap in adult and immature stage hotspots.
Conclusion : Results provide an evidence base for the selection of appropriate vector control methods to minimize the risk, frequency and magnitude of future outbreaks in Ouagadougou. An inte grated strategy combining community-driven practices, waste disposal and insecticide based interventions is proposed. The prospects for developing a regional approach to arbo virus control in West Africa or across Africa are discussed.

Dengue, Aedes aegypti, bionomics, Burkina Faso