Growing Threat From Potentially Lethal Diseases Highlighted at Meeting of Global Experts

New York, April 15, 2010 (ots/PRNewswire) - As experts from around the
world met in New York this week they discussed the need for greater
understanding of the threat posed by ticks, fleas and sand flies.
Leading scientists called on veterinarians and dog-owners around the
world to take action to protect dogs and humans from potentially
lethal diseases.

Ticks, mosquitoes, fleas and, in some countries, sand flies are
critical in the transmission of diseases to both dogs and humans,
including life-threatening conditions such as Lyme Disease,
Leishmaniasis and other important diseases such as Ehrlichiosis.
"These so-called CVBDs (canine vector borne diseases) that were once
considered exotic or unusual are now commonly extending their
distribution thanks to the increase in pet travel and, in part, to
changes in climate," stated Professor Gioia Capelli of the
Parasitology and Ecopathology laboratory, Experimental Institute for
Animal Diseases Control of Northern Italy (IZSVe). "Today, with the
very latest highly sensitive diagnostic techniques, known as PCR and
serology tests, we are able to accurately detect these infectious
agents, improve diagnosis and rapidly grow our understanding of these
life threatening diseases. Also, DNA-based techniques look set to
provide useful information for treatment."

Dr Torsten Naucke from the Institute for Zoology, Division of
Parasitology, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany called for
veterinarians and pet owners to recognise the risks posed by failing
to adequately protect dogs, particularly when travelling into higher
challenge areas when holidaying with their owners. "Many people think
these parasites are just an unpleasant but harmless nuisance, but far
from it. The diseases they spread pose a real threat to the health of
dogs and humans. An important prevention measure for dogs from CVBDs
is to ensure they are treated with an effective, repellent
insecticide to minimise the risk of disease transmission."

Edward Breitschwerdt, DVM, of North Carolina State University's
College of Veterinary Medicine pointed out the role veterinarians
play in preventing the spread of CVBDs, "Veterinarians are often the
first responders, from an animal and public health perspective, to
see evidence of their spread, but may not recognize the symptoms or
fully understand the public health ramification of these diseases. I
would call on all veterinarians to pay attention to the possible
appearance of CVBDs, even in areas where they have never been seen
before."

These views were echoed by Peter Irwin, School of Veterinary and
Biomedical Sciences, Murdoch University, Western Australia, "Because
of their close proximity to humans and their susceptibility to
infection, dogs are uniquely poised to function as a sentinel for
human disease risks from tickborne pathogens. Veterinarians should be
educated about owner risks when these infections are diagnosed in
dogs, and should take an active role in explaining risks to clients.
People who find ticks on their dogs should be aware that such events
can signal a personal risk of exposure to themselves and their
families, even if human tick bites have not been recognized."

These warnings came as a multidisciplinary group of experts from
around the world met at the 5th World CVBD Forum in New York to
discuss the latest on research and prevention of CVBDs. The CVBD
World Forum is supported by Bayer Animal Health as part of its
ongoing commitment to supporting the scientific community in its
fight against parasites worldwide.

"Latest data from the CVBD World Forum flags a clear need for
increased disease prevention. We are committed to supporting this
important international information exchange and are dedicated to
helping increase awareness of regional CVBD risks", said Sarah
Weston, Global Vet Services Manager, Bayer Animal Health. "Dogs are
dearly loved members of many families around the world, sharing the
homes and day to day lives of their owners. It is essential for
veterinarians to remain vigilant for these diseases that can lurk
unseen in family pets and to work with owners to educate them about
prevention. For veterinarians who are not yet seeing many dogs with
these diseases, we hope that they become better-versed in the
prevention of CVBD and that they become alert to the signs and
symptoms of these potentially lethal diseases."

For more information on canine vector-borne diseases and the CVBD
World Forum, please visit http://www.CVBD.org.

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 the 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
http://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.

Contact:

Kathrin Statz, +49-2173-384019

Kathrin.statz@bayerhealthcare.com

To view the full MMR release, including video interviews with
leading veterinary experts, please click here:
http://ketchum-media.com/BayerCVBD

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

Contact:
CONTACT: Contact: Kathrin Statz,
+49-2173-384019,Kathrin.statz@bayerhealthcare.com