Salem, Ore. (May 11, 2015) — The Companion Animal Parasite Council (CAPC), the leading expert on internal and external parasites that threaten the health of pets and people, today announced that two current sponsors – Merial and Virbac – have further solidified their commitment to the organization by increasing their sponsorships to platinum level for the 2015-2016 term. As platinum sponsors, representatives from both companies may attend open board meetings, as well as serve on CAPC committees and collaborate on communications efforts for the organization.

Merial and Virbac join other industry sponsors at the platinum level, including Bayer Healthcare Animal Health, Elanco, IDEXX Laboratories and Zoetis.

“The ongoing support of our sponsors allows CAPC to fulfill its mission to preserve the human-animal bond by generating and disseminating credible, accurate and timely information for the diagnosis, treatment, prevention and control of parasitic infections,” said CAPC Executive Director Christopher Carpenter, DVM, MBA. “We are extremely grateful to all of our sponsors for recognizing the value CAPC brings to the veterinary profession and pet lovers everywhere.”

CAPC provides a wide array of professional and pet owner tools and resources. Its highly regarded CAPC Guidelines, which shape protocols for parasite prevention, treatment and monitoring, as well as recommendations for staff and client education, are well established as the professional standard among practitioners.

CAPC releases its annual Parasite Prevalence Forecasts to calculate the probability of canine exposure to causative agents of four key vector-borne diseases: Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, ehrlichiosis and heartworm. The forecasts show the threat of vector-borne diseases transmitted by ticks continues to be a year-round menace to both pets and pet owners. CAPC raises awareness of the forecast maps and the importance of testing and year-round prevention for pets through publicity campaigns to both pet owners and practicing veterinarians.

Another CAPC proprietary offering are the Parasite Prevalence Maps, which track the prevalence of canine exposure to these four vector-borne disease agents. The prevalence maps report data of potentially life-threatening diseases at the county level. This provides an additional call to action for both veterinarians and pet owners by providing local and timely information about the possible risks to pets. The goal is to encourage working together to develop parasite prevention plans that test pets and ideally provide them year-round protection.

The Prevalence Maps add incredible value to practitioners. A 2014 industry study by CAPC and Bayer Healthcare Animal Health polled 2,000 pet owners and found 90 percent want to be notified when there is a high prevalence of parasites in their area, and two-thirds want to know this information immediately from their veterinarians. Additionally, 89 percent of pet owners said they were likely to make an appointment to get their pets tested based on the risk.

CAPC also operates a pet-owner focused website, petsandparasites.org. This site offers information about parasite prevention for pets and the family in a much more consumer-friendly approach.

About CAPC

The Companion Animal Parasite Council (www.capcvet.org) is an independent not-for-profit foundation comprised of parasitologists, veterinarians, medical, public health and other professionals that provides information for the optimal control of internal and external parasites that threaten the health of pets and people. Founded in 2002, CAPC works to help veterinary professionals and pet owners develop the best practices in parasite management that protect pets from parasitic infections and to reduce the risk of animal-human parasite transmission.

About Merial

Merial is a world-leading, innovation-driven animal health company, providing a comprehensive range of products to enhance the health and well-being of a wide range of animals. Merial employs 6,100 people and operates in more than 150 countries worldwide with over $2 billion of sales in 2014. Merial is a Sanofi company. For more information, visit merial.com.

About Virbac

One of the world’s largest laboratories dedicated exclusively to animal health, Virbac develops, manufactures, and distributes a wide range of products and services intended for the prevention and treatment of common pathologies in companion animals. Virbac Corporation, located in Fort Worth, Texas, is a leading companion animal health company offering products in the heartworm, tick and flea, dermatology, antibiotic, endocrinology, senior care, behavior, critical care nutrition, and oral hygiene markets. Virbac products are available to pet owners exclusively through a veterinarian. For more information, visit www.virbacus.com.