Because of the geographical location of the City of Laredo, adjacent to the border with a historically high number of travelers and visitors, the threat of a mosquito-borne disease outbreak is intensified. Other border areas and even inland cities/counties are equally affected.
The most recent Dengue fever outbreak occurred between July and December 1999 with 56 confirmed cases reported in Laredo and 200 cases in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico.
Intensive surveillance, community education, elimination interventions and a strong commitment from the City of Laredo to reduce mosquito breeding sites have reduced the threat of Dengue fever and other vector borne diseases.
The awarding of an Innovation Grant Proposal to the City of Laredo/Webb County Health Department is an example of the continued effort to fight vector borne diseases. This integrated Mosquito Abatement and Surveillance program is a Surveillance/Display Data System, Health Assessment, and Media Campaign. The grant provides for mosquito elimination through Source Reduction, Educational classes (Community Forums) to identify problems and solutions, and community events to conduct prevention activities. The Health Assessment crew will be screening medical records at major patient care institutions for patients with a history of mosquito borne diseases and will conduct field surveys in the community in order to elicit demographic, environmental, and entomological information and history.
The Health Assessment includes random blood sampling from a volunteer population in an effort to establish thorough mosquito disease exposure from IGG/IGM indicators to mosquito borne diseases such as Saint Louis Encephalitis, Eastern Equine Encephalitis, Western Equine Encephalitis, Dengue Fever and West Nile Virus. The Mosquito surveillance program will conduct field household surveys to identify mosquito-breeding areas, gather entomological information, and initiate chemical control measures. The Mosquito Surveillance program will monitor mosquito populations and will conduct species identification with the aid of mosquito light traps, egg ("OVI") traps, and mosquito larvae collection. The media campaign will include radio, television and newspaper public advisories, mail distribution, website and billboard announcements.
The Source Reduction program promotes a City/County wide clean-up campaign. The Source Reduction program pays the citizen a nominal amount for the containers (normally car tires) turned in to the City landfill. This program will compliment the City of Laredo's "Cash for Tires" program by increasing the number of opportunities for citizens to benefit from this program. Educational public presentations will be held throughout the City and Webb County.
This project will involve a "Blind Study" with emphasis on "Prospective Analysis." This kind of study will allow examination of multiple effects of single mosquito disease exposure. The "Prospective" approach will take into account relevant exposures past, present, future and disease outcomes that have not been evaluated. More Information on the kind of study and methodology is covered in the "Dissemination Plan".
Finally the study will help educate the community, provide health assessment, provide mosquito abatement interventions, and determine the extent of species proliferation and resulting or potential problems. The Health Department is pleased and honored to have been given this opportunity to partner with the state and to ensure continuous vector control surveillance and disease prevention.