Bayer Leads Unique Effort to Support Global Public Health by Fighting Vector-Borne Diseases

The FINANCIAL — Nearly half of the world’s population is infected with at least one type of vector-borne disease.

The FINANCIAL — Nearly half of the world’s population is infected with at least one type of vector-borne disease. These diseases are transmitted from parasites to animals and humans, and have a significant impact on public health and our global economy. The economic impact of Lyme disease alone is estimated to be well over $3 billion annually. And as international travel makes the spread of disease faster and easier, it is increasingly important for veterinarians and public health professionals to understand prevalent vector-borne diseases.

Bayer HealthCare’s Animal Health Division has opened the online registration and invited veterinarians, physicians, and public health professionals to join a global web conference on zoonotic vector-borne disease, according to Bayer AG. This 3rd annual Canine Vector-Borne Disease (CVBD) web conference takes place Thursday, 20th March 2014, to raise awareness of parasitic diseases such as those transmitted via ticks (Lyme disease), fleas (canine bartonellosis), and sand flies (leishmaniosis). For this web conference, there will be two sessions: a targeted case study session for veterinarians and a roundtable session for veterinarians, physicians, and allied and public health professionals.

The 2014 CVBD conference will involve an international team of global experts to raise awareness about vector-borne disease transmission, and addresses the challenges, opportunities, and surveillance information available to inform public health frameworks. The conference registration opens online today. Veterinarians are invited to submit clinical case studies at the website to be considered for sharing with the audience, according to Bayer AG.

Broadcasting live from Barcelona, Spain, the web conference meetings will be simultaneously translated into English, Spanish, Italian, French, German, and Russian languages to accommodate a global audience. For the 2014 web conference social media will play a vital role in raising awareness of CVBD, with a live Twitter feed and supporting conference hashtags.

The CVBD network involves thousands of veterinarians globally. In 2014, by adding the public health focus with the veterinary topic, there will be a broader impact from the CVBD web conference to exchange knowledge and findings about ectoparasite-pathogen-host interaction as well as characterisation and assessment of pathogen and vector distribution.