Zika, a mosquito-borne virus, can be passed from a pregnant woman to her fetus, potentially causing microcephaly and other devastating defects. Environmental factors may contribute to the spread of the viruses that cause Zika, dengue, and other tropical diseases, as a changing climate may allow their mosquito carriers to flourish. Though no vaccines exist for Zika or dengue, Rotary clubs can implement service projects to provide education, clean up mosquito habitats, promote prevention, and implement an exciting new method to interrupt mosquitoes’ ability to transmit these viruses.

1. Member RC Townsville Sunrise, Queensland,
Australia
Rotarian Allan worked with his club, to secure a Global
Grant from The Rotary Foundation in support of a
research program to release Wolbachia treated
mosquitoes in Northern Queensland in collaboration
with Eliminate Dengue and and Monash University in
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Rotarian Allan Church, PDG 9550

2. Allan Church
Rotary Club of Townsville Sunrise DIST9550
Australia

3. Halting the spread of deadly diseases

4. Where is the Eliminate Dengue Program working?

5. Zika virus outbreak
http://www.who.int/emergencies/zika-virus/situation-report/en/

6. WHO endorsement
18 March 2016: WHO-VCAG endorsed pilot deployments
of the EDP approach in response to the Zika virus
outbreak.
WHO VCAG Statements:
• Wolbachia reduces the mosquito’s ability
to transmit arboviruses to humans
• Wolbachia infection reduces viral
replication of dengue, chikungunya and
Zika viruses
Recommendations:
• Pilot deployments

7. What is Wolbachia?
• Naturally occurring bacteria
• Passed from female mosquito to her
offspring via the mosquito eggs
• Safe for humans, animals and the
environment
• Reduces ability of mosquitoes to
transmit disease (including Zika,
dengue, chikungunya)

8. Adults Eggs
How the Program establishes Wolbachia

9. Wolbachia blocks many viral diseases
Wolbachia has been shown to
block transmission of:
✓ Dengue viruses – all serotypes
✓ Yellow Fever
✓ West Nile
✓ Chikungunya
✓ Zika
Wolbachia is predicted to be able
to block:
• Other Flaviviruses – eg Japanese
encephalitis
• Other Alphaviruses – eg Semliki
Forest virus, Venezuelan Equine
encephalitis
• Other species of Plasmodium and
Filarial nematodes
• Filarial Nematodes – Brugia
malayi
• Malaria parasites – Plasmodium
gallanaceum, P. falciparum,
P. berghei

10. What is the global burden of dengue alone?
Shephard et al 2016. Lancet Infect Dis. & http://www.ifrc.org/en/news-and-media/features/dengue/infographics-dengue---turning-up-the-volume-on-a-silent-disaster/

11. The Wolbachia success story
The Eliminate Dengue team has:
• Tested the Wolbachia method
in the lab & in more than 40
communities
• Developed successful
community engagement
practices
• Gained approvals from safety
agencies, regulatory bodies,
government, & WHO
• Had no adverse events
associated with mosquito
releases in field sites

12. Halting the spread of deadly diseases

13. Halting the spread of deadly diseases

14. Halting the spread of deadly diseases

15. Halting the spread of deadly diseases

16. Halting the spread of deadly diseases

17. Why this is good for Rotary
• Humanitarian benefits
• Rotary clubs working together
• Hands-on opportunities for Rotarians in the field
• Lifting Rotary’s profile
• A practical and significant way of doing good in the world
Eliminate Dengue

18. Eliminate Dengue
Thank you for your interest
Any partnership and philanthropy queries please email
Enrica.longo@eliminatedengue.com
External Relationships Director
Eliminate Dengue Program global office

19. Questions?
Dr. Peggy Honein, CDC
Email: eocbirthdef@cdc.gov
Dr. Jonathan Patz, University of Wisconsin Global Health Institute
Email: globalhealth@ghi.wisc.edu Twitter:@jonathanpatz
Enrica Longo, Eliminate Dengue, External Relations
Email: Enrica.longo@eliminatedengue.com
Allan Church, RC Townsville Sunrise, Queensland, Australia,
Email: allanchurch.d9550@gmail.com
Moderator, Karen Kendrick-Hands, ESRAG Chair,
Email: kdkhands@esrag.org

20. This presentation and others
from throughout the convention
are available through the
convention mobile app and on
SlideShare at
www.SlideShare.net/Rotary_International.

21. Rate this session in the
Rotary Events app,
available in your Apple or
Android app store.