REMOTE-SENSING OF TROPICAL WETLANDS FOR MALARIA CONTROL IN CHIAPAS, MEXICO

Malaria, transmitted by anopheline mosquitoes, remains a serious healt h problem in the tropics. Most malaria eradication efforts focus on co ntrol of anopheline vectors. These efforts include the NASA Di-Mod pro ject, whose current goal is to integrate remote sensing, geographic in formation systems (GIS), and field research to predict anopheline mosq uito population dynamics in the Pacific coastal plain of Chiapas, Mexi co. Field studies demonstrate that high larval production of Anopheles albimanus, the principal malaria vector in the plain, can be linked t o a small number of larval habitat-types, determined by larval samplin g and cluster analysis of wetlands in the coastal plain. Analysis of w et and dry season Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) satellite imagery ident ified 16 land cover units within an 185-km(2) study area in the coasta l zone. A hierarchical approach was used to link the larval habitat-ty pes with the larger land cover units and make predictions of potential and actual low, medium, and high anopheline production. The TM-based map and GIS techniques were then used to predict differences in anophe line production at two villages, La Victoria and Efrain Gutierrez. La Victoria was predicted to have much higher Anopheles albimanus product ion, based upon a 2-10 times greater extent of medium- and high-produc ing land cover units in its vicinity. This difference between villages was independently supported by sampling (with light traps) of adults, which were 5-10 times more abundant in La Victoria.