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

International Experts at Meeting in New York Call for Vets and Owners to Act

NEW YORK, April 15, 2010 - 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 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 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: ketchum-media.com/BayerCVBD

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