Study area
An ethnographic study was conducted in two
villages with the highest reported incidence of
the disease in the province. The villages, Khun
and Nekry (pseudonyms), are located
approximately 30 kilometres in opposite
directions from the provincial town centre (also
known as Kampong Cham) and around 100
kilometres from the Capital, Phnom Penh. Most
villagers are poor farmers, growing rice for
subsistence and sale, supplementing this by
selling other produce and re-selling non-food
goods in small quantities. Environmental
conditions in the villages are conducive to
dengue transmission. Broken coconut shells plastic bags, used packages and other
disposable items are indiscriminately scattered
in house yards and lanes; these provide ideal
conditions for the breeding of the vector, Aedes
mosquito. Wooden houses are built on stilts
using bamboo and thatch. Water jars, stored
under houses, are rarely covered and breed
larvae all the year round