Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the current knowledge level and information on Aedes mosquitoes and dengue among Penang resident in urban (Sungai Dua) and sub- urban areas (Batu Maung). Methods: The questionnaire comprises of twenty-three questions, surveyed on 202 respondents regarding socio-demographic, the observation of general Aedes’ mosquito behaviour, dengue infection threat, preventive measures against mosquitoes and lifestyle (on usage of artificial light) in changing the behaviour of Aedes mosquitoes. Results: The respondents in sub-urban Batu Maung showed less knowledge level regarding Aedes mosquitoes as compared to respondents in urban Sungai Dua. There was a positive association between biting frequency of mosquitoes with the lifestyle of respondents (in relation to the light use), the use of personal protection and fogging operations conducted by the Ministry of Health. There is a positive relationship between the knowledge of preferred mosquitoes resting place and the respondent aged between 17 to 24 (78.2%) in sub-urban Batu Maung. Urban Sungai Dua respondents showed a significant relation between the use of lights and the resting places for Aedes mosquitoes. The preventive measures chosen by both sub-distinct areas against mosquitobites were significantly affected by the biting time and the mosquitoes biting frequency (P < 0.05). Conclusions: In this study, we concluded that there is a direct link between the knowledge of the Aedes biting frequency with dengue infection, human lifestyle on the light use and preventive measures against mosquitoes. However, the level of knowledge is poor on the subject of Aedes mosquitoes and dengue for both urban and sub-urban respondents.

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