The study shows that dengue fever cases fell 45% more in Colombian neighborhoods with specially coated water tanks than in comparable control areas. The findings may also be relevant to Germany, where the closely related Asian tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus) has become established in many regions.

“Our findings show that we can protect many people from dengue infection through a relatively simple measure. By targeting breeding sites, we can significantly reduce the burden of disease,” said project leader Prof. Dr. Axel Kroeger, a researcher at the Institute for Infection Prevention and Hospital Hygiene at Medical Center–University of Freiburg and a member of the Center for Planetary Health at the University of Freiburg.