01663nas a2200157   4500000000100000008004100001260004400042653002100086100001200107245013200119856007700251300000800328490000700336520114800343022001401491       2023                            d  bSpringer Science and Business Media LLC10aGeneral Medicine1 aMushi V00aSimulium surveillance and control in Mahenge, Tanzania: time to think bigger and utilize drone-based remote sensing technology  uhttps://bnrc.springeropen.com/counter/pdf/10.1186/s42269-023-01016-x.pdf  a1-40 v473 a<p>Despite the ongoing onchocerciasis control program that has been in place in Mahenge for more than two decades using the Community Directed Treatment with Ivermectin (CDTI) strategy, the persistent transmission of onchocerciasis has been observed, proving that CDTI alone is unable to interrupt the transmission. This letter aims to highlight how drone-based remote sensing technology can be utilized for&nbsp;Simulium&nbsp;surveillance and control in Mahenge and suggest measures that can be employed to initiate the&nbsp;vector&nbsp;control intervention using the proposed technology in Mahenge. The drone-based technology in Mahenge could assist in the identification of&nbsp;Simulium&nbsp;breeding sites even in inaccessible parts of rivers and streams, mapping the microenvironmental composition, and suggesting potential control measures, including whether to apply larviciding using drones or where the ground control effort of slashing and clearing should be prioritized. Therefore, now is an opportune time to combine CDTI and&nbsp;Simulium&nbsp;control interventions to achieve sustainable onchocerciasis control in Mahenge.</p>
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