Merck Animal Health (known as MSD Animal Health outside the USA and Canada) 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.
