New report on the spread of canine Lyme disease

Today’s Sponsored Feature is part of your subscription to the daily AVMA SmartBrief. This feature, produced by SmartBrief and a select group of sponsors, highlights issues, products and services of interest to veterinarians and all those interested in animal health. It also allows for continued free delivery of AVMA SmartBrief. Thank you for your interest. - The AVMA SmartBrief Team SPONSORED FEATURE FEATURED ARTICLE FEATURED PRODUCT Experts Warn Canine Lyme Disease Is Spreading A new report from the Companion Animal Parasite Council (CAPC) — a nonprofit organization of veterinary parasitologists and scientists — warns “the threat of Lyme disease for dogs will be extremely high this year.” The increasing risk includes areas where the disease is already common, such as the Northeast and North-Central U.S., as well as the states below, where Lyme disease is now expanding: Indiana Illinois Michigan Ohio Kentucky West Virginia Virginia North Carolina How can you help prepare your clinic? Read CAPC’s full article View the Lyme disease risk-level map on LymeInfo.com. The map is just one of many helpful tools for educating clients and colleagues — share it with yours today. Innovative Vaccine, Impressive Credentials Duramune Lyme® vaccine: Features innovative PureFilâ„¢ Technology Is used by veterinarian/researcher Dr. SA Levy, who says: “With another brand of vaccine, I saw a 4% incident rate that led to owner concerns — swelling, pain, fever, lethargy, etc. I switched to Duramune Lyme because of its efficacy and safety. Now I have seen only two mild local swelling incidents that did not generate office visits.” Learn more About Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc. The Boehringer Ingelheim group is one of the world’s 20 leading pharmaceutical companies. Headquartered in Ingelheim, Germany, it operates globally with 145 affiliates and more than 44,000 employees. Since it was founded in 1885, the family-owned company has been committed to researching, developing, manufacturing and marketing novel medications of high therapeutic value for human and veterinary medicine. As a central element of its culture, Boehringer Ingelheim pledges to act socially responsible. Involvement in social projects, caring for employees and their families, and providing equal opportunities for all employees form the foundation of the global operations. Mutual cooperation and respect, as well as environmental protection and sustainability, are intrinsic factors in all of Boehringer Ingelheim’s endeavors. In 2011, Boehringer Ingelheim achieved net sales of about $ 17.1 billion. Research and development expenditure in the business area of prescription medicines corresponds to 23.5% of its net sales. Learn more at: http://us.boehringer-ingelheim.com and http://twitter.com/boehringerus. RESOURCE CENTER Steps to Building Your Prevention Plan Learn about ticks, checking for them and more LymeInfo.com Learn from parasitic disease experts CAPCvet.org Make vaccination part of your prevention plan DuramuneLyme.com FYI Legal: © 2013 Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc. Duramune and Duramune Lyme are registered trademarks of Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc. All rights reserved. SMARTBRIEF NEWS ARCHIVE: RELATED ARTICLES Prevention is key to protecting dogs from Lyme disease Lyme disease prevention is best done with tick-prevention products and a canine vaccine, but if an engorged tick becomes embedded in a dog’s skin, it’s important to properly and completely remove the tick. Lyme disease is a zoonotic illness, causing symptoms in dogs such as swollen joints, lameness and fever. If left untreated, it can progress to fatal kidney failure. Humans usually exhibit symptoms similar to influenza when infected with Lyme disease. Veterinarian Hisham Ibrahim has diagnosed 65 canine cases of Lyme disease this season. KDKA-TV (Pittsburgh) (4/22) Timely removal of ticks can prevent Lyme disease Although dogs can be protected from Lyme disease, humans aren’t so lucky. Lyme disease is a zoonotic infection responsible for 24,364 human cases in 2011. The illness is caused by a spirochete bacteria transmitted by the tick Ixodes scapularis. Using proper technique to remove a tick within 24 hours will decrease the chances of contracting Lyme disease. The spirochete reproduces within the tick gastrointestinal tract and isn’t available for transmission until 36 to 48 hours after the tick begins feeding. The Exponent Telegram (Clarksburg, W.Va.) (6/1) Mich. residents are alerted to Lyme disease risk among pets Michigan veterinarian Jim Connell’s practice diagnosed Lyme disease in eight out of 800 tested dogs in his practice last year, and he notes an AVMA alert warned clinicians the disease is spreading. The best prevention for dogs includes a vaccine and tick-bite prevention. MLive.com (Michigan) (free registration) (5/31) City residents are at risk for Lyme disease, too Even city dwellers can be exposed to Lyme disease through the bite of a deer tick carrying the bacteria because the ticks may hitch a ride to the city on wildlife and dogs, writes physician Leo Galland. Even if they don’t know of any tick exposure, urban residents who experience otherwise unexplained symptoms such as fatigue, muscle pain, and confusion, or those diagnosed with an autoimmune or degenerative neurological disease should discuss being tested for Lyme disease with their physician, Galland says. The Huffington Post/The Blog (5/21) Revealing Lyme disease in Ala. Jacksonville State University scientists found Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent behind Lyme disease, in seven Alabama dogs, marking the first time the bacteria has been identified in dogs in the state. The first case of Lyme disease in an Alabama resident was diagnosed in 1985, but it is rare and some still doubt its presence in the state. Lyme disease is less prevalent in the South mainly because ticks there tend to feed on animals that don’t carry the pathogen, such as lizards, according to the CDC. The Anniston Star (Ala.) (6/2) Bumper tick population is marching across Maine Maine’s mild winter fueled a tick population boom last year, and experts are warning that the Lyme disease threat will continue to grow. One Maine woman, Heidi McDonald, suffered with symptoms of Lyme disease in addition to two other insect-borne diseases, babesia and bartonella, for more than six months before her infections were diagnosed. McDonald noted that it may take two different tests to confirm a Lyme disease infection, the ELISA and the Western blot. Bangor Daily News (Maine) (free registration) (5/10) What is this? 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