P6 - Puerto Rico Vector Control Unit’s Large and Growing Integrated Vector Control Program

Abstract: Puerto Rico Vector Control Unit (PRVCU) promotes an island-wide program of Integrated Vector Management (IVM) combining vector control activities, vector and arbovirus surveillance, and community engagement and education – all focused on Aedes aegypti, the principal vector of dengue, Zika and Chikungunya in Puerto Rico (Ae. albopictus is not present in PR). The PRVCU has operated a 2,000-trap vector surveillance network since 2016. Since 2020, we have processed 800 – 1,500 mosquito pools/week through our in-house molecular laboratory PCR system. Active virus surveillance through mosquito pool testing often detects arbovirus circulation in areas where no human cases have been reported.
The Unit maintains a strong formal Quality Assurance program on its data collection and reporting system so that the data are of maximum reliability. These data are easily accessible to users of various classes (research collaborators, municipal and territorial health departments, press and media, etc.) through class-specific dashboards. Each year, the Unit also hosts visiting students (graduate and undergraduate), research collaborators, and numerous scientific guests and visitors. The Unit will be prominently highlighted at the 2025 AMCA Annual Meeting in San Juan, Puerto Rico. This poster presents the program and its results realized since 2016.