Strengthening Arboviral Epidemic Response Through Entomological Surveillance: Insights from Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso

Abstract

Arboviral diseases are emerging public health challenges in Burkina Faso, largely driven by the proliferation of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes in the environment. Effective surveillance of arbovirus circulation is critical to inform interventions. From August 2022 to June 2023, we implemented a comprehensive entomological surveillance platform in five sectors of Bobo-Dioulasso. Surveillance methods included oviposition traps to collect eggs, larval surveys in some concessions per sector conducted bimonthly, and adult mosquito collections using BG-Sentinel traps and Prokopack aspirators. Mosquito samples colonized by Ae. aegypti were identified morphologically, confirmed by conventional PCR, and screened by RT-PCR for dengue (DENV), chikungunya (CHIKV), yellow fever (YFV), and Zika (ZIKV) viruses. Molecular analysis detected dengue virus and yellow fever virus in mosquito pools from sector 22 and chikungunya virus in sectors 9 and 26; no Zika virus was found. This study demonstrates the successful establishment of an integrated entomological surveillance platform capable of capturing the spatial and temporal dynamics of arboviral vectors and virus circulation in Bobo-Dioulasso. The identification of active dengue and chikungunya transmission underlines the urgent need for sustained vector monitoring and targeted control strategies. Our approach provides a scalable model for arboviral disease surveillance and epidemic preparedness in West African urban settings.