Socio-environmental typologies of dengue risk at multiple spatial scales of the urban landscape

Abstract Urbanization in the 21st century has given rise to complex socio-environmental landscapes that contribute to spatial inequalities in health, particularly in the context of emerging infectious diseases, such as dengue fever. This study employs an urban systems framework to explore the multi-dimensional drivers of dengue risk in Ibagué, Colombia, where Aedes mosquitoes thrive in diverse urban environments. We characterized the biophysical, socio-economic, and institutional properties of the urban landscape and employed hierarchical cluster analysis to define urban typologies at both census block and urban section levels. Our findings reveal significant differences in dengue incidence across these typologies, with higher rates associated with areas of high population density and commercial activity. Additionally, we examined the landscape configuration and its role in shaping dengue risk, identifying that diversity and intermixing of typologies had protective effects against dengue incidence. This research underscores the importance of considering multi-scale, socio-ecological factors in dengue risk assessments and highlights the need for targeted public health interventions that address the complex interactions within urban landscapes.