Project SíScreens

Mosquito Screens and Dengue Prevention in Puerto Rico Housing

The SíScreens project is a collaboration between Ponce Health Sciences University, the Department of Health, and the Puerto Rico Vector Control Unit under the Project Communities Organized for the Prevention of Arboviruses (COPA). This project seeks to evaluate how effective are the screens in doors and windows to prevent virus borne diseases by Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, such as dengue.

The project will include 500 houses. Our teams will visit the houses to see their characteristics, and determine how they can participate.

In half of the houses, screens will be installed free of charge on doors and windows. The installed screens will remain in the houses even after the project is completed.

The other half of the houses will not have screens installed, but the other activities of the project will be carried out. For their time, these houses will receive compensation of $30 per visit.

In all participating homes 3 visits will be coordinated to perform mosquitoes aspirations and yard inspections. These visits will occur every 6 months for a period of 1 year.

The SíScreens project is a collaboration between Ponce Health Sciences University, the Department of Health, and the Puerto Rico Vector Control Unit under the Project Communities Organized for the Prevention of Arboviruses (COPA). This project seeks to evaluate how effective are the screens in doors and windows to prevent virus borne diseases by Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, such as dengue.

The project will include 500 houses. Our teams will visit the houses to see their characteristics, and determine how they can participate.

In half of the houses, screens will be installed free of charge on doors and windows. The installed screens will remain in the houses even after the project is completed.

The other half of the houses will not have screens installed, but the other activities of the project will be carried out. For their time, these houses will receive compensation of $30 per visit.

In all participating homes 3 visits will be coordinated to perform mosquitoes aspirations and yard inspections. These visits will occur every 6 months for a period of 1 year.

How can you participate?

If you are interested and are a COPA participant, you may contact the Puerto Rico
Vector Control Unit at 787-671-3348 to schedule an evaluation visit.

Control Group Houses

The control group homes will not have screens installed to be able to compare with the group that does have them. These homes will receive a $30 incentive on each home visit. In all participating homes, 3 visits will be coordinated to carry out mosquito aspirations and patio inspections. These visits will occur every 6 months for a period of 1 year.

How can you participate?

Participate in 3 home visits in a 1-year period.

VISIT 1

COPA Annual Visit / Study Recruitment

  • Explanation of the project.
  • Determine if you are eligible to participate.
  • Initial consent to participate in the study.

Questionnaire

  • Includes questions to find out your opinion and possible concerns about the use of screens and activities you do to protect yourself from the mosquito.
  • Mosquito aspirations inside the house with Prokopack  aspirator for 15 minutes.  In this process we will be collecting the adult mosquitoes inside the house, and we will take them to our laboratory to count and identify them.
  • Yard inspection to identify mosquitoes breeding sites.
  • You will receive an incentive of $30.00.

VISIT 2 (6 months after visit 1)

  • Follow-up questionnaire on perception of mosquito bites and protection measures.
  • Second aspiration of mosquitoes inside the house for a period of 15 minutes and yard inspection.
  • You will receive an incentive of $30.00.

VISIT 3 (6 months after visit 2)

  • Follow-up questionnaire on perception of mosquito bites and protection measures.
  • Third aspiration of mosquitoes inside the house for a period of 15 minutes and yard inspection.
  • You will receive an incentive of $30.00.

Intervention Group Houses

How can you participate?

  • You must agree to install screens on doors and windows. This requires taking measurements of the windows and doors. If the windows and doors have screens, we will be verifying the conditions in which they are. If necessary, they will be replaced.
  • Also, accept 5 visits to your home, which includes the installation of screens. All of these will be carried out in the period of 1 year

VISIT 1

COPA Annual Visit / Recruitment of the screen studio.

  • Explanation of the project.
  • Determine if you are eligible to participate.
  • Initial consent to participate in the study.

VISIT 2

Visit of measurements for the manufacture of screens.

  • The contractor will visit your home to measure all the doors and windows.
  • If there are screens on some doors and windows, their condition will be evaluated.
  • If they are in poor condition, they will be included to replace them.

VISIT 3

  • Questionnaire about experience with screens.
  • First aspiration of mosquitoes inside the house (15 minutes).
  • Yard inspection. If you do not have a yard, we would not be doing the yard inspection.
  • Installation of screens on doors and windows. If it is not possible to do the installation the same day,  a visit from the contractor will be arranged in the next two weeks to install them.

VISIT 4 (6 months after visit 3)

  • Questionnaire about experience with screens.
  • Second aspiration of mosquitoes inside the house (15 minutes).
  • Yard inspection. If you do not have a yard, we would not be doing the yard inspection.
  • Screen evaluation. Repairs will be coordinated in the next two weeks.

VISIT 5 (6 months after visit 4)

  • Questionnaire about experience with screens.
  • Third aspiration of mosquitoes inside the house (15 minutes).
  • Yard inspection. If you do not have a yard, we would not be doing the yard inspection.
  • Screen evaluation. Repairs will be coordinated in the next two weeks.

Additional Information

Prokopack: Mosquito collection

  • Adult mosquitoes, from inside the house, will be collected with Prokopack aspirator for a period of 15 minutes per house.
  • Mosquito aspirations will begin from the main entrance of the housing and will end in the rooms located at the back.
  • These will be carried out within the period of 8:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m.
  • During the process, the resident must always accompany team members.

Yard Inspection: Process information

  • These will be carried out by a vector management technician.
  • In each inspection, the technician will be carrying out an evaluation of the home and structure to identify mosquito breeding sites and other factors that contribute to the presence of mosquitoes.
  • During the process, the resident must always accompany team members.
  • This process have a duration of approximately 15 minutes.
Acknowledgment and Disclaimer: The work that provided the basis for this publication was supported by funding under an award with the U.S.Department of Housing and Urban Development. The author and publisher are solely responsible for the accuracy of the statements and interpretations contained in this publication. Such interpretations do not necessarily reflect the views of the Government.

If you have any questions, you can contact the Puerto Rico Vector Control Unit at:

San Juan: 787-523-5860 Ponce: 787-671-3348

Join us and say NO to Aedes aegypti