[Durgical](https://durgical.com/en/) › [DurgiPedia](https://durgical.com/en/durgipedia/) › [Nursing](https://durgical.com/en/nursing/) › [Family and community nursing](https://durgical.com/en/nursing/areas/community/) › Community control of vector-borne disease: breeding sites, home visits and warning signs

# Community control of vector-borne disease: breeding sites, home visits and warning signs

- Safe practice

The nurse helps families find and remove mosquito breeding sites, protect themselves from bites and recognise the warning signs that need urgent care.

Updated Nov 13, 2026

## Key points

- Aedes breeds in clean standing water in containers: tanks, vases, tyres, animal drinkers; cover, empty and clean them every week.
- Dengue warning signs often appear when the fever goes away: severe abdominal pain, persistent vomiting, bleeding of gums or nose, restlessness, cold pale skin.
- In dengue, do not give anti-inflammatory medicines without medical advice: they raise the risk of bleeding.
- Malaria: fever, headache and chills usually 10–15 days after the bite; every suspected case is confirmed with a parasite test.
- Chagas: triatomine bugs live in cracks of walls and roofs; better housing, house spraying and nets prevent it; there is no vaccine.
- Prevention is collective: neighbourhood clean-ups and intersectoral work matter as much as household action.

## What it is

Dengue is spread mainly by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which bites during the day and lays its eggs in containers that hold water around homes. Malaria is spread by Anopheles mosquitoes, and Chagas disease by triatomine bugs that hide in cracks in walls and roofs and feed at night. Vector control at community level depends on what families and neighbourhoods do every week: empty, scrub and cover water containers, remove items that collect rainwater, use nets and screens, and seek care early. Colombia's 2026 national elimination plan includes Plasmodium falciparum malaria, vector-borne and congenital Chagas disease, visceral leishmaniasis and urban yellow fever among the diseases to eliminate. The nurse educates during home visits, checks for breeding sites with the family and teaches the warning signs.

## What it requires

- Knowledge of the vectors present in the territory and of the local programme for vector-borne disease.
- Coordination with the environmental health and vector-control teams of the municipality.
- Simple educational material in the community's language.
- A clear referral route for people with fever or warning signs.

## Components

- Household inspection for breeding sites with the family.
- Personal protection: clothing that covers the skin, repellents, nets and screens.
- Education on early consultation and warning signs.
- Community action: clean-up days, waste collection, tyre and container management.
- Surveillance: active search for people with fever and notification.

## How it is applied (and why)

- Introduce yourself and explain the purpose of the visit — the family must agree before you inspect the house.
- Walk the house and yard with the family looking for water containers — the family learns to find breeding sites on its own.
- Show how to empty, wash, scrub and cover tanks and containers each week — weekly cleaning interrupts mosquito breeding.
- Help remove or puncture items that collect rainwater, such as tyres and cans — fewer containers means fewer mosquitoes.
- Teach personal protection: covering clothing, repellent, nets for babies and the sick — it avoids bites, including during the day for dengue.
- In Chagas areas, look for cracks in walls and roofs and report them to the vector team — spraying and better housing cut contact with the bug.
- Ask about fever in the household and refer suspected cases the same day — early diagnosis prevents severe forms and spread.
- Teach the warning signs and say where to go at any hour — severe dengue can appear when the fever falls.
- Record the findings and report breeding sites and cases to the team — the data guide spraying and community actions.

## In nursing practice

- Reinforce that people with dengue should not self-medicate and should keep drinking fluids, as the MinSalud page advises.
- Children of mothers with Chagas disease should be tested; early treatment works best.
- In malaria areas, every person with suspected malaria needs a parasite test (microscopy or rapid test) per the local programme.
- Combine visits with other actions: vaccination cards, child growth, prenatal care.

## Common mistakes

- Only changing the water instead of washing and scrubbing tanks, as MinSalud advises.
- Teaching only household measures and forgetting the community clean-up.
- Telling families that the mosquito bites only at night (Aedes bites during the day).
- Telling people with dengue to go home without teaching the warning signs.

## Test yourself

Think of the answer, then tap the question to see it.

## When does Aedes aegypti usually bite?

During the day. That is why protection with clothing, repellent and nets is also needed in daytime, for example for babies and sick people.

## What does MinSalud recommend for water stored at home to prevent dengue?

Wash and scrub tanks and basins, cover water containers, and change the water of vases and animal drinkers often.

## When do the warning signs of severe dengue usually appear?

Often when the fever has gone away, so the person and family must keep watching during recovery.

## Where do triatomine bugs that transmit Chagas disease live?

In cracks in the walls and roofs of homes and nearby structures in rural or suburban areas; they feed at night.

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## Elsewhere in DurgiPedia

- [Epidemiologic triad and chain of infection](https://durgical.com/en/epidemiology/epidemiologic-triad-and-chain-of-infection/)

## Connections

## Related 3

- [The home visit: planning, safety, conduct and follow-up](https://durgical.com/en/nursing/the-home-visit-planning-safety-conduct-and-follow-up/)
- [Planning, running and evaluating a health-education session or group](https://durgical.com/en/nursing/planning-running-and-evaluating-a-health-education-session-or-group/)
- [Environmental health nursing: exposures, the exposure history, safe water and risk communication](https://durgical.com/en/nursing/environmental-health-nursing-exposures-the-exposure-history-safe-water-and-risk/)

## Related conditions 7

- [Dengue](https://durgical.com/en/conditions/dengue/)
- [Malaria](https://durgical.com/en/conditions/malaria/)
- [Chagas disease](https://durgical.com/en/conditions/chagas-disease/)
- [Leishmaniasis](https://durgical.com/en/conditions/leishmaniasis/)
- [Zika virus infection](https://durgical.com/en/conditions/zika-virus-infection/)
- [Chikungunya](https://durgical.com/en/conditions/chikungunya/)
- [Yellow fever](https://durgical.com/en/conditions/yellow-fever/)

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Educational content for students; it does not replace your institution's protocols, supervised clinical training or a prescriber's order. Dose-calculation examples use made-up numbers: they are educational, not a clinical order.

Sources: [Dengue and severe dengue: fact sheet](https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/dengue-and-severe-dengue) (World Health Organization, 2025); [Dengue: prevención, síntomas y cuidados](https://www.minsalud.gov.co/salud/publica/PET/Paginas/dengue.aspx) (Ministerio de Salud y Protección Social, Colombia, 2026); [Malaria: fact sheet](https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/malaria) (World Health Organization, 2025); [Chagas disease (American trypanosomiasis): fact sheet](https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/chagas-disease-(american-trypanosomiasis)) (World Health Organization, 2026).

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Representative model, for educational purposes only.

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Source: https://durgical.com/en/nursing/community-control-of-vector-borne-disease-breeding-sites-home-visits-and-warning/
License: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Cite as: DurgiPedia (durgical.com), https://durgical.com/en/nursing/community-control-of-vector-borne-disease-breeding-sites-home-visits-and-warning/