Merck Animal Health to Attend in 10th International Sea Lice Conference, “Sustainable Solutions in Sea Lice Management”
SUMMIT, NEW JERSEY, August 28, 2014 – Merck Animal Health (known as MSD Animal Health outside the USA and Canada) today announced its sponsorship of the 10th International Sea Lice Conference, being hosted for the first time in the U.S. The conference, “Sustainable Solutions in Sea Lice Management,” will take place August 31 through September 5, 2014, in Portland, Maine.
Demand for fish protein is rising around the world. Protecting fish from disease and controlling bacteria and parasites is vital to ensure consistent, sustainable harvests and Merck Animal Health is proud to participate in the discussion.
“Sea lice and parasitic copepods continue to pose challenges to the global aquaculture industry,” said Dr. Chris Gould, Merck Animal Health. “Our aquaculture team is committed to working closely with research scientists and producers worldwide to develop sustainable, cost-effective sea lice control programs.”
Poor sea lice control can lead to poor growth and feed efficiency, high mortality rates, and increased susceptibility to bacterial and viral infections. The recognition that the expansion of salmon and trout farming in Europe, Canada and Chile has been accompanied by increasing infestations of sea lice prompted Merck Animal Health to develop an antiparasitic drug known as SLICE® (emamectin benzoate), the industry’s leading parasiticide for sea lice.
Merck Animal Health will host a booth where attendees can learn about the SLICE Sustainability Project, a global initiative supported by the company and its network of technical service specialists aimed at helping producers develop science-driven programs to improve sea lice control and optimize the use of treatments.
The conference will also feature presentations from industry experts on the topics of new tools and approaches for integrated pest management, sea louse biology, veterinary medicines, sea lice in wild and farmed fish populations, host immune responses and sea louse immuno-modulation, as well as epidemiology, modeling and analysis.
About Merck Animal Health
Today’s Merck is a global healthcare leader working to help the world be well. Merck Animal Health, known as MSD Animal Health outside the United States and Canada, is the global animal health business unit of Merck. Through its commitment to the Science of Healthier Animals™, Merck Animal Health offers veterinarians, farmers, pet owners and governments one of the widest range of veterinary pharmaceuticals, vaccines and health management solutions and services. Merck Animal Health is dedicated to preserving and improving the health, well-being and performance of animals. It invests extensively in dynamic and comprehensive R&D resources and a modern, global supply chain. Merck Animal Health is present in more than 50 countries, while its products are available in some 150 markets. For more information, visit www.merck-animal-health.com or connect with us on LinkedIn and Twitter at @MerckAH.
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This news release includes “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of Merck’s management and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results may differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements.
Merck undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Additional factors that could cause results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements can be found in Merck’s 2013 Annual Report on Form 10-K and the company’s other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) available at the SEC’s Internet site (www.sec.gov).