Software and tools readily available today allow databases to be integrated with digital mapping (GIS) and field survey (GPS) data. Choosing GPS is a priority; when operating from road or air vehicles, a navigational type is preferable, whereas when surveys are being carried out by people on foot, topographical instruments allow greater precision and facilitate the entry of alphanumeric data. This tool is indispensable for mapping mosquito breeding sites in natural areas, where as a result of morphological changes occurring over time, no reliable indications can be derived from official maps; the effectiveness of treatments may largely depend on the precision of the indications provided to operational personnel. In cities GPS can be used to construct precise digital maps in the case of changes in the street network or urban configuration. Moreover, GPS may be employed to directly monitor the treatments under way through radio linkups and subsequently to check the operations performed by the vehicles used to carry out larvicidal or adulticidal treatments. From an operational standpoint the paths plotted using GPS are compared to the previously prepared digital map to assess whether the treatments were applied with precision and in the locations indicated by the technical direction. Other parameters can be analysed, such as the speed of treatment and the amount of time required to carry out the job. on the basis of previous field surveys, models can thus be built for the purpose of validating the data acquired in relation to the equipment used, the type of breeding sites and any difficulties that may slowdown operations. Therefore, GPS makes it possible to save time in post-treatment assessments (random samplings will be sufficient for evaluating the effectiveness of treatments) and ensures compliance with parameters that may have an important impact on project costs/benefits balance.
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