The Camino Verde trial of community mobilisation for control of dengue reported a significant impact on entomological indices of the Aedes aegypti vector , and on serological dengue virus infection and self-reported dengue cases .
One reason for doing r and omised controlled trials ( RCTs ) is that experiments can be convincing .
Early epidemiological experimenters , such as Jenner and the smallpox vaccine and Snow and his famous Broad Street pump h and le , already knew the answer they were demonstrating ; they used the experiments as knowledge translation devices to convince others .
More sophisticated modern experiments include cluster r and omised controlled trials ( C RCTs ) for experiments in the public health setting .
Those who are convinced by a trial and want to act , need to know how the trial relates to their own context , what contributed to success , and what might make it even more effective .
Camino Verde (The Green Way): evidence-based community mobilisation for dengue control in Nicaragua and Mexico: feasibility study and study protocol for a randomised controlled trial
Background Since the Aedes aegypti mosquitoes that transmit dengue virus can breed in clean water , WHO-endorsed vector control strategies place sachets of organophosphate pesticide , temephos ( Abate ) , in household water storage containers . These and other pesticide-dependent approaches have failed to curb the spread of dengue and multiple dengue virus serotypes continue to spread throughout tropical and subtropical regions worldwide . A feasibility study in Managua , Nicaragua , generated instruments , intervention protocol s , training schedules and impact assessment tools for a cluster r and omised controlled trial of community-based approaches to vector control comprising an alternative strategy for dengue prevention and control in Nicaragua and Mexico . Methods / Design The Camino Verde ( Green Way ) is a pragmatic parallel group trial of pesticide-free dengue vector control , adding effectiveness to the st and ard government dengue control . A r and om sample from the most recent census in three coastal regions of Guerrero state in Mexico will generate 90 study clusters and the equivalent sampling frame in Managua , Nicaragua will generate 60 clusters , making a total of 150 clusters each of 137–140 households . After a baseline study , computer-driven r and omisation will allocate to intervention one half of the sites , stratified by country , evidence of recent dengue virus infection in children aged 3–9 years and , in Nicaragua , level of community organisation . Following a common evidence -based education protocol , each cluster will develop and implement its own collective interventions including house-to-house visits , school-based programmes and inter-community visits . After 18 months , a follow-up study will compare dengue history , serological evidence of recent dengue virus infection ( via measurement of anti-dengue virus antibodies in saliva sample s ) and entomological indices between intervention and control sites . Discussion Our hypothesis is that informed community mobilisation adds effectiveness in controlling dengue . Trial registration IS RCT N27581154
The Camino Verde trial of community mobilisation for control of dengue reported a significant impact on entomological indices of the Aedes aegypti vector , and on serological dengue virus infection and self-reported dengue cases .
One reason for doing r and omised controlled trials ( RCTs ) is that experiments can be convincing .
Early epidemiological experimenters , such as Jenner and the smallpox vaccine and Snow and his famous Broad Street pump h and le , already knew the answer they were demonstrating ; they used the experiments as knowledge translation devices to convince others .
More sophisticated modern experiments include cluster r and omised controlled trials ( C RCTs ) for experiments in the public health setting .
Those who are convinced by a trial and want to act , need to know how the trial relates to their own context , what contributed to success , and what might make it even more effective .