MONHEIM, Germany, December 13, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- In a study published online last week in Medical and Veterinary Entomology, international experts reported the latest data on flea susceptibility to imidacloprid, revealing that after more than a decade of widespread use around the world, there is no evidence of resistance to this invaluable treatment.

The study looked at data compiled between 2002 and 2009 by the International Flea Susceptibility Monitoring (FSM) programme from monitoring centres in Australia, Germany, France, UK and USA. The data showed that, of the more than one thousand samples tested over the past eight years, all were confirmed to be susceptible to imidacloprid.

"These results are great news for veterinarians and pet owners alike," said Dr Byron Blagburn, Distinguished University Professor, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, USA. "They show that imidacloprid, one of the most widely used active ingredients for flea control in pets, remains as effective against fleas now as it was when it was first launched."

Imidacloprid is the key active ingredient in Advantage(R) and related products developed for the effective control of fleas and other parasites in companion animals.

The International FSM programme is the first and only monitoring initiative in the field of companion animal parasites. The FSM initiative includes a group of internationally renowned, independent researchers who work together with Bayer Animal Health to monitor the susceptibility of fleas to imidacloprid.

"In order to prevent resistance to treatments such as imidacloprid, careful and coordinated monitoring is essential in order to detect as early as possible any potential shifts in susceptibility. The FSM programme is unique in terms of geographical scale and duration. It is an excellent example of a pharmaceutical company collaborating with academic organisations to ensure the efficacy and safety of its products," said Ian Denholm, Principal Scientist, Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, UK.

Bayer Animal Health supported the initiation of the FSM, in partnership with an international panel of experts, in order to monitor the susceptibility of flea populations to imidacloprid, the active ingredient of Advantage(R). "We are delighted to see that, once again, the data from the FSM programme show that veterinary professionals and pet owners can continue to trust Advantage(R) to provide effective, reliable flea control for companion animals," said Sarah Weston, Global Veterinary Services Manager at Bayer Animal Health.