Assess the Productivity of Dengue Vector Breeding Habitat Through Pupal Productivity in Kalutara District, Sri Lanka.

Dengue is a rapidly spreading mosquito-borne disease, and infected female Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus serve as the vectors. The study was conducted to assess the pupal productivity of dengue vector breeding habitats in the Kalutara District. All pupae from positive breeding habitats and the physicochemical parameters of water in positive breeding habitats were recorded. The recorded data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics version 23 at α = 0.05. Pupae-per-House Index (PHI), Pupal per Person Index (PPI), Breeding Preference Ratio (BPR) and Pupal Productivity Percentage (PPP) were calculated. The relationship between breeding habitat variables and pupal productivity was evaluated using One-way ANOVA Water parameter differences in breeding habitats were analyzed using an independent sample t-test, and the relationship between physiochemical parameters and pupal productivity was assessed using Pearson correlations. Out of 2,400 premises surveyed, 23.92% were positive for Aedes pupae. The PHI and PPI showed no significant differences among the vectors. Among 1,480 potential breeding habitats, 21.55% contained Aedes immatures, and 23.5% of larval habitats had pupae. The highest BPR and pupal productivity of Ae. aegypti was found in tyres, with significant variation (p=0.021). For Ae. albopictus, BPR was highest in natural items, while pupal productivity was highest in temporary removed items, without significant differences. Outdoor habitats yielded highest pupal productivity for both species. Location of breeding habitats significantly affected Ae. albopictus pupal productivity (p=0.014), but not Ae. aegypti. The productivity of Ae. aegypti pupae varied significantly with breeding materials (p = 0.01), in contrast to Ae. albopictus. Rainwater was the primary water source in productive habitats. Effective Ae. aegypti management requires targeted removal of key containers. But, Ae. albopictus control demands community-wide elimination of outdoor breeding sources. Public health messaging should focus on species-specific breeding habits to reduce vector density and dengue risk.

Ae. aegypti, Ae. albopictus, Breeding habitat, Pupal productivity

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