New Health Threat for Dogs and Owners as World Climate Changes

Seville, Spain (ots/PRNewswire) -

Hotter summers and milder winters have a hidden health impact,
with experts now cautioning that warmer year-round weather will make
more countries a haven for disease-carrying pests.

Scientists from around the globe, gathered together this week in
Seville for the 4th Symposium of the CVBD (canine vector-borne
disease) World Forum, issued a plea for dog owners to be more
vigilant about protecting their pet and themselves from diseases
spread by blood-sucking parasites as global warming causes local
temperatures to rise across the seasons. Dogs are particularly
vulnerable to attack from a variety of parasites, such as ticks,
fleas, sand flies, stable flies and mosquitoes, all of which are
capable of transmitting dangerous pathogens. Some of these pathogens
may lead to severe diseases in the dog, and, if left undiagnosed and
untreated, may in some cases be lethal.

Dr. Xavier Roura, Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Universitat
Autonoma de Barcelona, Spain, explains: "Ongoing climate change, as
well as the increased movement of dogs through travel and
importation, has enabled the wider spread of infectious agents, with
ticks, fleas and mosquitoes now finding niches in new countries. Pet
owners need to understand the severity of diseases such as
leishmaniosis, babesiosis, ehrlichiosis, hepatozoonosis and Lyme
disease, and do what they can to treat and prevent them."

The experts cite climate change as one of the main contributors
to the heightened incidence and global spread of existing diseases,
as well as the appearance of new ones from parasites not previously
found in parts of the US, Europe, or Asia.

Speaking at the official opening of the symposium, Tomas Molina,
Vice-Chairman of the European Association Of Broadcast Meteorologists
said: "Changes in temperature, rainfall and humidity affect the
biology and ecology of every living thing including, parasites. The
warmer weather and milder winters that we have been observing in many
parts of the world have meant that dangerous parasites are active for
longer periods during the year. For example, sand flies, which
transmit leishmaniosis, become more abundant as the climate warms.
This, consequently, increases the risk of disease being transmitted
from parasite to animal."

It has been estimated that average global temperatures will have
risen by 1.0-3.5 degrees C by 2100,(1). Europe alone has warmed by an
average of 0.8 degrees C over the last 100 years(2) and while these
changes have not been uniform, the greatest warming has occurred
during winter and in the north. Similarly, since 1900, average daily
temperatures in the USA have increased by approximately 0.4 degrees
C, with most of this increase occurring over the past 30 years,(3)
and in Asia average temperatures have increased by 0.3-0.8 degrees C
across the continent and are projected to rise by 0.4-4.5 degrees C
by 2070.(1)

"Pet owners and vets will be very interested to hear how changing
worldwide temperatures may affect their dog's health. It is important
they are aware of how to best safeguard dogs from any increased
health threats. Preventative measures that not only kill parasites
but also repel them before they bite the pet appear to currently be
the most effective choice to reduce the risk of transmission of
infectious diseases, helping to protect the health of pet and owner,"
added Dr. Roura.

The CVBD World Forum (www.cvbd.org) is supported by Bayer
HealthCare, Animal Health Division - a specialist in the field of
parasite prevention. The CVBD (IV) Symposium was held on March 26-28
(incl) in Seville, Spain.

"It is vital that we continue to investigate and predict future
impacts of parasite behaviour on animal and human health. Through
ongoing research and the accumulation of our scientific knowledge in
animal health, particularly in parasitology, we will be better
equipped to identify new disease threats and quickly work to
effectively address them, advancing today's animal healthcare to meet
the challenges of an evolving world," commented Margaret Fairhurst,
Head of Global Marketing, Bayer Animal Health.

About The CVBD World Forum

The CVBD World Forum is a working group of leading experts in
natural sciences, veterinary and human medicine from Europe, North
America, Latin America, Australia and Asia. It was founded during the
1st International CVBD Symposium in April 2006 in Billesley, UK, as a
consequence of increasing global threats through canine vector-borne
diseases (CVBD). The main goal of the CVBD World Forum is to exchange
knowledge and findings about ectoparasite-pathogen-host interaction
as well as the characterisation and assessment of the distribution of
pathogens and vectors in order to increase awareness for the specific
regional risks of CVBD and to foster preventative measures. This work
is supported by Bayer HealthCare, Animal Health Division.

About Bayer HealthCare

Bayer HealthCare, a subsidiary of Bayer AG, is one of the world's
leading, innovative companies in the healthcare and medical products
industry and is based in Leverkusen, Germany. The company combines
the global activities of the Animal Health, Bayer Schering Pharma,
Consumer Care and Medical Care divisions. Bayer HealthCare's aim is
to discover and manufacture products that will improve human and
animal health worldwide. Find more information at
www.bayerhealthcare.com.

With a turnover of EUR963 million (2008) Bayer HealthCare's
Animal Health Division is one of the world's leading manufacturers of
veterinary drugs. The division manufactures and markets more than 100
different veterinary drugs and care products for livestock and
companion animals.

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Forward-Looking Statements

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current assumptions and forecasts made by Bayer Group management.
Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors
could lead to material differences between the actual future results,
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References

(1) Watson RT et al., eds. Climate Change 1995; impacts
adaptations and mitigation of climate change; scientific-technical
analysis. Contribution of Working Group II to the Second Assessment
Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge,
Cambridge University Press

(2) Watson RT et al., eds. The regional impacts of climate
change. An assessment of vulnerability. A special report of IPCC
Working Group II, Cambridge University Press 1998

(3) Karl TR, Knight RW, Plummer N. trends in high-frequency
climate variability in the twentieth century. Nature, 1995, 377:
217-220

ots Originaltext: Bayer HealthCare Animal Health Division
Im Internet recherchierbar: http://www.presseportal.de

Contact:
Kerstin Nacken of Bayer HealthCare Animal Health Division,
+49-(0)2173-38-4019, kerstin.nacken@bayerhealthcare.com