With the current and developing ehrlichiosis outbreak throughout Australia, AMRRIC is working hard to offer support to remote communities. With continued efforts happening behind the scenes to promote research and advocacy surrounding the impacts of this novel disease to Australia and its potential human health impacts, AMRRIC have also focused its efforts to direct, on the ground support.
One such project has seen us collaborate with both PETstock and Boehringer Ingelheim, the manufacturer of Nexgard® antiparasitic treatments – a product which protects dogs against fleas, mange mites and also ticks.
To assist communities to control ticks and therefore reduce ehrlichiosis risks, AMRRIC have invested in a significant purchase of Nexgard®, kindly discounted by Boehringer Ingelheim and made possible through donated funds from our wonderful AMRRIC supporters.
Over the past 12 months, AMRRIC’s team have been working hard to facilitate distribution to communities in need, during AMRRIC veterinary programs, on the ground community antiparasitic visits and through our many veterinary partners and local government contacts. To date this includes the deliver of almost 4000 doses of Nexgard® to more than 50 remote communities and counting, throughout the NT, WA and SA.
Considering that just a single female tick can lay up to 3000 eggs at one time, it is easy to see how tick burdens can become a huge health concern very quickly, however they now pose a further risk due to added health concerns from ticks spreading ehrlichiosis. For more information, see AMRRIC’s ehrlichiosis FAQ on our website.
Lack of access to antiparasitic treatments within remote communities is a huge contributing factor to controlling ticks and of course other external and internal parasites and so AMRRIC continues to work with remote stores and communities to promote and facilitate access to appropriate and effective antiparasitic treatments such as Nexgard®
Thank you to our AMRRIC supporters for donations which have made it possible to purchase Nexgard anti-parasitic for dogs, and to Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health and PETstock and PETstockAssist for facilitating this. We look forward to collaborating into the future and supporting remote communities through donations and continued work in enabling sustainable access to vital antiparasitic products.
