Prevention of the major feline infectious diseases in Europe
The complete collection of illustrated “fact sheets”, highlighting the main recommendations of the guidelines issued by the Advisory Board on Cat Diseases (ABCD) is now available online in 18 European languages (www.abcd-vets.org/factsheet/index.asp). Fact sheets are two-page summaries of the evidence-based guidelines for the management and prevention of the major feline infectious diseases in Europe: Feline panleukopenia, feline herpesvirus infection, feline calicivirus infection, FeLV infection, FIV infection, rabies, feline infectious peritonitis, infections by Chlamydophila felis and Bordetella bronchiseptica. Another fact sheet gives recommendations on the management of suspected avian influenza in cats.
Fact sheets: educating the owner
“These fact sheets are intended for the quick and easy reference in the veterinary practice, and were produced with the practitioner’s vaccination interview with the pet owner in mind, explains professor Marian Horzinek, chairman of the ABCD. “The decision to vaccinate against a certain disease should be based on an individual risk assessment, taking into account the lifestyle, age, health status, and vaccination history of the cat, as well as the local disease incidence. This decision should be made during the vaccination interview, together with the pet owner.” Fact sheets are illustrated with images of affected cats to help the practitioner explain the potential consequences of the exposure of unvaccinated pets to the various pathogens to the client.
“We are proud to be associated with this very practical tool and hope it will contribute to the health and welfare of cats and to enhancing the importance of the annual vaccination interview, added Pascal Fayard, Marketing Director for pet and equine vaccines EMEA* for Merial, the company committed to supporting the ongoing activities of the ABCD.
Soon available in nineteen languages
The fact sheets can be freely downloaded from the ABCD web site and are available in 18 languages: English, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Slovak, Spanish and Swedish. Fact sheets in the nineteenth language (Bulgarian) are expected soon. Laminated prints are available in certain language versions. The comprehensive guidelines are also available online.
The ABCD is currently updating the existing guidelines and is preparing new guidelines on other infectious diseases in cats, including Toxoplasmosis, Bartonellosis, Leishmaniasis and systemic fungal diseases. It is also looking into means of contributing to veterinary education in the field of feline medicine and of setting up a quality control system for laboratories for the diagnosis of feline pathogens.
The ABCD will be present at the upcoming congress of the European Society of Feline Medicine in Amsterdam, held from 18 to 20 June. At this occasion, the ABCD & Merial Young Scientist Award 2010 will be presented.
*Europe, Middle East and Africa
Notes to editors
Fact sheets can be freely downloaded in pdf from www.abcd-vets.org/factsheet/index.asp
The European Advisory Board on Cat Diseases is an independent panel of 17 leading veterinarians from ten European countries, with an expertise in immunology, vaccinology and/or feline medicine.
The ABCD (www.abcd-vets.org) was set up to compile guidelines for the prevention and management of major feline infectious diseases in Europe, based on current scientific knowledge.
Merial is a world-leading, innovation-driven animal health company, providing a comprehensive range of products to enhance the health, well-being and performance of a wide range of animals. Merial employs approximately 5,700 people and operates in more than 150 countries worldwide. Its 2008 sales were over $2.6 billion. Merial is the Animal Health subsidiary of sanofi-aventis. For more information, please see www.merial.com.
For further information please contact:
Karin de Lange DVM MRCVS – ABCD Press Officer:
Telephone: + 33 299 07 87 10
Email: karin.delange@abcd-vets.org
