US Vets Vaccinate Pets and Save Lives

US VETS VACCINATE PETS AND SAVE LIVES
IN THE SERENGETI

Intervet Will Donate Rabies Vaccines to Eradicate Severe Rabies Threat to Children and Families in the Serengeti

Millsboro, DE–July 16, 2007. As Americans, we often take our own health—and that of our pets—for granted. It’s easy to go down the road to the local veterinarian for pet checkups and vaccinations. Not so in developing parts of the world like Africa’s Serengeti where infectious diseases are daily threats and pet vaccination a luxury. Rabies kills 25,000 people—mostly children—each year in Africa. In response, Intervet is joining forces with Afya Serengeti to bring widespread canine vaccination to this needy area of the world in a bid to eliminate the rabies threat for humans and animals alike.

From August to December 2007, Intervet will donate one dose of rabies vaccine to the Afya Serengeti program for every dose of Continuum^® canine or feline vaccine purchased by vets in the US.* This means that US vets will be making a direct, positive impact on the lives of dogs, children, and families where the need for rabies protection is the greatest.

The plight of rabies in third-world countries is much more severe than is generally recognized. Of the estimated 25,000 rabies-caused deaths, it is disturbing to note that only 100-200 cases are officially recorded.

“Rabies is an easily preventable disease,” says Serge Allard, Intervet’s Corporate Communications Manager. “But children and adults are dying from it. The vaccines and tools are available, and as a global leader in animal vaccines, we wish to take our commitment to animal health further and beyond our local reach. We are concerned with global health issues and are in a position to take a lead role in helping to control this disease.”

Allard continues, “It’s easy for vets in the US to take a stand. Each time they vaccinate any dog or cat with a Continuum vaccine, the purchase of that dose will trigger a rabies dose to be donated to Afya Serengeti.”

Afya Serengeti (literally “Health for the Serengeti”) began in 1997 and is managed by Dr. Sarah Cleaveland from the Centre of Tropical Medicine at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland. The Afya Serengeti project has been working within a small targeted area for two years. In this time, the project has managed to reduce by 92% the number of people needing hospital care for bites from rabid dogs. They now want to expand their reach to all of the Serengeti with the help of US vets.

*Intervet will provide up to 100,000 doses of rabies vaccine for the Afya Serengeti project.

About Intervet

Intervet Inc. (www.intervetusa.com) is an affiliate of Intervet International bv, the world’s leading manufacturer of veterinary vaccines and currently ranked third among global animal health suppliers. The company is a leader in research and dedicated to the development, production, and marketing of innovative, high-quality brands such as Continuum, Vetsulin^®, Panacur^®, and Salix^® animal-health products. Intervet International currently employs more than 5,000 people and maintains a global distribution network of subsidiary companies and agents in 120 countries. Across this entire infrastructure, Intervet’s single-minded ambition is to be viewed as professionals working for professionals in the animal health industry.

Continuum, Panacur, Salix, and Vetsulin are registered trademarks of Intervet Inc. or an affiliate.

© 2007 Intervet Inc. All rights reserved.