A cluster of dengue cases occurs in an urban area. The entomological index most sensitive for detecting low-level Aedes aegypti infestation in urban areas is:

• A House Index (HI)
• B Container Index (CI)
• C Stegomyia Index
• D Breteau Index (BI) ✓

Explanation

The Breteau Index (number of positive containers per 100 houses surveyed) is considered the most informative and sensitive entomological index for dengue vector surveillance because it combines information about both house infestation rate and container density. A BI of 5 or above signals epidemic risk. The House Index (% of houses with at least one positive container) is less sensitive as it ignores number of containers per house. The Container Index reflects only the proportion of water-holding containers that are positive, not the density. Stegomyia indices are the collective term for HI, CI, and BI.

Reference: Park's Textbook of Preventive and Social Medicine, 27th ed.

High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP

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