Mosquito Surveillance and Vector Control Strategies

Effective management of mosquito‐borne disease hinges on accurate surveillance of vector populations and the deployment of integrated control measures. Surveillance approaches range from traditional human landing catches and pyrethrum spray catches to odour‐baited and light‐trap systems, each with distinct strengths and logistical demands. Data derived from these methods inform estimates of biting rates, species composition, seasonal dynamics and metrics such as the entomological inoculation rate. Vector control strategies encompass chemical interventions, notably long‐lasting insecticidal nets and indoor residual spraying, alongside emerging tools such as odour‐baited mass trapping and stimulus‐based decoy traps. Advances in trap design now leverage combinations of olfactory, visual and thermal cues to enhance mosquito capture rates. Concurrently, strategic planning of surveillance systems, underpinned by centralised data platforms and spatially explicit sampling, is recognised as crucial for timely outbreak detection and adaptive vector control. A global commitment to integrated vector management, combining traditional and novel interventions, offers the best prospect for reducing disease transmission and responding to evolving vector behaviour and insecticide resistance.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Recent studies have refined field methods for evaluating the entomological efficacy of novel control tools. One investigation compared human landing catches, light traps and indoor spray catches across multiple clusters to assess two dual‐active‐ingredient long‐lasting nets, revealing that simpler light traps deliver comparable patterns of vector density reduction while minimising ethical and logistical burdens. A foundational study has also demonstrated that combining human odour, visual contrast and a thermal signature into a “host decoy” trap can attract and kill malaria vectors more effectively than a human volunteer, achieving up to tenfold higher capture of Anopheles mosquitoes. These insights underscore the potential of integrated sensory cues in surveillance devices and support the transition towards more ethical, scalable and high‐throughput sampling methodologies.

Mosquito Surveillance and Vector Control Strategies publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in mosquito surveillance and vector control strategies across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Entomological inoculation rate (EIR): A measure of the rate at which people are exposed to infectious mosquito bites, calculated from biting rates and sporozoite prevalence.

Human landing catch (HLC): A method in which human volunteers collect mosquitoes landing on exposed skin, serving as a direct proxy for biting rates.

Long‐lasting insecticidal net (LLIN): A bed net treated with insecticide that retains efficacy for several years and multiple washes.

Odour‐baited trap: A surveillance device that uses synthetic or natural chemical attractants, often supplemented by CO₂, to lure mosquitoes into a capture chamber.

Spatially explicit sampling design: A surveillance approach that accounts for geographic variation in vector populations by systematically selecting sampling sites across heterogeneous landscapes.

References

1. Mosquito odour-baited mass trapping reduced malaria transmission intensity: a result from a controlled before-and-after intervention study. BMC Medicine (2024).
2. Strengthening adult mosquito surveillance in Africa for disease control: learning from the present. Current Opinion in Insect Science (2023).
3. Field performance of three mosquito collection methods for assessing the entomological efficacy of dual-active ingredient long-lasting insecticidal nets. Scientific Reports (2023).
4. Exploiting Anopheles responses to thermal, odour and visual stimuli to improve surveillance and control of malaria. Scientific Reports (2017).
5. Assessment of Culicidae collection methods for xenomonitoring lymphatic filariasis in malaria co-infection context in Burkina Faso. PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases (2024).