We're All Connected: Animal and Human Health

Zoonotic diseases — diseases transferred from animals to humans — that have affected humans over the past couple of decades include:

• Avian flu
• H1N1 influenza
• Leishmaniasis
• Mad cow disease

Older Pets Have New Health Needs

The population of older pets has increased – close to 50 percent of cats and dogs in the U.S. are over 6 years old compared to just 40 percent in the mid-1990s.

Just like their owners, these elderly pets face chronic diseases such as:

• Diabetes
• Chronic kidney disease
• Cancer
• Osteoarthritis
• Heart disease

Aging pets and their specific conditions are one of the major concerns for Merck Animal Health researchers.

The Scoop on Dairy Production

• 98 percent of U.S. dairy farms are family-owned.
• Americans consumed 22 billion gallons of milk in 2010.
• Demand for dairy production is expected to increase 70 percent by 2050.
• Advancements in genetics, nutrition and animal care have resulted in greater milk production per cow – in 1944, 26 million cows produced 14 billion gallons of milk; in 2010, 9 million cows produced 22 billion gallons of milk.