Strengthening the Control of Mosquito Vectors in Cabo Verde

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Figure 18.1: Cabo Verde, Santiago Island, City of Praia.

Next, we present three pilot studies integrated into two priority lines of research: im-

provement of tools for monitoring the main and potential arbovirus vectors in the country

and search for new control strategies aimed at the implementation of a surveillance system

stratified by risk of arbovirus outbreaks.

18.2

STUDY AREA

Three pilot studies were carry out on Santiago Island, the largest of ten islands in

the volcanic archipelago of Cabo Verde and the most populated, with more than half the

nation’s population, 290,000 inhabitants out of 500,000 residents [8]. Located here is the

nation’s capital of the country, with 131,000 inhabitants and the focus for all vector-borne

diseases (18.1)

The country, located in the subtropical region 560 km west of the Senegal coast, has

an arid and semi-arid climate, with an average annual temperature of 25º C and little rain-

fall, average annual precipitation below 250 mm, concentrating in the rainy season (July

to October) [9].

The island of Santiago is located in the southern island group or “Sotavento”, of which

Maio, Santiago, Fogo and Brava are part. The rest are included in the Barlovento group,

located to the north and comprising the islands of Santo Antão, San Vicente, Santa Lucía,

Sao Nicolau, Sal and Boa Vista. With rugged terrain, Santiago has a rural population