Eradication of Aedes aegypti from a village in Vietnam, using copepods and community participation

In northern Vietnam, copepods of the genus Mesocyclops were used for biological control of Aedes aegypti, the principal vector of dengue viruses, by inoculation into wells, large cement tanks, ceramic jars, and other domestic containers that served as Ae. aegypti breeding sites. The use of Mesocyclops was complemented by community participation with respect to recycling to eliminate unused and discarded containers that collected rainwater and provided Ae. aegypti breeding sites that could not be treated effectively with Mesocyclops. Aedes aegypti disappeared from 400 houses of the treated village in August 1994 and has not reappeared, a result of particular significance, because there are virtually no other recorded instances of eradicating this mosquito anywhere in the world during the past 25 years, and certainly not with community-based approaches. When used in combination with community recycling, Mesocyclops is an easy and inexpensive method of Ae. aegypti control that should be effective for many communities in Vietnam and elsewhere.