74 - The Role of Super pooling and Molecular Surveillance for Integrated Vector Management Programs.

Abstract:






Since 2019, the Puerto Rico Vector Control Unit (PRVCU) has implemented advanced molecular surveillance techniques to enhance the control of the mosquito-borne diseases, including dengue, chikungunya, and Zika. A critical component of this approach is the detection of viral pathogens in Aedes aegypti populations, the primary vector mosquito in Puerto Rico, which has faced recurrent outbreaks of these diseases specifically this year 2024. PRVCU's entomological surveillance system, using Autocidal Gravid Ovitraps (AGO), involves the weekly collection of thousands of mosquitoes. To address the significant processing demands, PRVCU adopted the super pool technique in 2021, in collaboration with the CDC Dengue Branch in San Juan, to optimize testing efficiency and accuracy.















The super pool method involves combining individual mosquito pools into larger groups for initial testing via RT-PCR assays, including the Trioplex RT-PCR. If a super pool tests positive, individual pools are subsequently analyzed to identify the infected mosquito. This method has improved the capacity of PRVCU’s molecular surveillance by reducing the number of individual tests required while maintaining high sensitivity for detecting viral RNA. The integration of super pooling has streamlined the laboratory workflow, enabling more timely and accurate identification of transmission hotspots during the epidemic on real time.




This presentation outlines PRVCU's molecular surveillance protocol, objectives and the advantages of super pooling while an important public health threat is currently occurring in Puerto Rico. By optimizing molecular testing, PRVCU can more effectively inform response collaborators, implement precise, timely and informed vector control decisions and mitigate the public health threat posed by arboviral diseases in Puerto Rico, especially during outbreaks such as the recent 2024 Dengue Public Health Emergency.