Studying the concept of variogram for time series of point data, applied to ovitraps samplings

摘要

Aedes aegypti is a mosquito of domiciliary habits that breeds in small containers of clear water. This vector transmits several arboviruses in the tropical regions of the planet. Particularly in Argentina, it is responsible for the transmission of Dengue, Chikungunya and Zika and, therefore, it represents an important threat from the point of view of public health. Within this context, Mundo Sano Foundation has been carrying out periodic surveys of immature stages of the vector in several cities of northern Argentina. This paper analyzes a series of two years of weekly oviposition data in 25 sites with ovitraps distributed in the urban area of a small city in northern Argentina. Through this study we try to understand how the relationship between the measurements in each site varies considering its relative position in the city, for different time windows of analysis. To do this, different similarity measurements between curves and graphic representations of these relationships are explored. Among these, the innovative use of polar graphs, a tool commonly used in the analysis of changes in satellite images, is explored. Thus, the work means a contribution both in the methodological and in the epidemiological sense since the understanding of the interaction between the spatial and temporal scales of the problem will help decision makers responsible of the control actions.