Socio-ecological factors contributing to the exposure of human populations to mosquito bites that transmit dengue fever, chikungunya and zika viruses: a comparison between mainland France and the French Antilles

International audienceThis article presents the findings of a research programme involving bothresearchers and operators involved in Vector Control in France and the French Antilles.We used an interdisciplinary approach to analyse how socio-ecological factors interact tocontribute to the exposure of urban and suburban populations to Aedes aegypti andAedes albopictus, mosquitoes that vector the chikungunya, zika and dengue feverviruses. Our analysis indicates that, beyond the territorial specificities of the sites studied,similar processes work to encourage the presence of mosquitoes at homes in both zones:the presence of water, the structure of gardens, inhabitants’ representations of the riskrelated to mosquitoes, and/or their personal experience. In the French Antilles, thepresence of larval breeding sites is also tied to a lack of urban infrastructure.We identifytwo main categories of larval breeding sites in individual homes: “Behavioural Habitats”(BHs) and “Structural Habitats” (SHs). While the presence of BHs is related to inhabitants’behaviour, SHs are mainly the product of building and garden design. Prevention aimedat curbing larval breeding sites as such needs to begin at the building and garden designstage. This article makes recommendations regarding the layout and management ofbuildings and gardens