After a Decade of Use, Fleas Still Victim to Imidacloprid

MONHEIM, Germany — There is no evidence that fleas have developed resistance to imidacloprid, even after more than a decade of use around the world, according to a study published online in Medical and Veterinary Entomology last week.

The study incorporated data compiled between 2002 and 2009 by the International Flea Susceptibility Monitoring (FSM) program from monitoring centers in Australia, Germany, France, U.K. and U.S. According to FSM members, of the more than 1,000 samples tested over the past eight years, all were susceptible to imidacloprid. The FSM initiative includes independent researchers working together with Bayer Animal Health to monitor the susceptibility of fleas to imidacloprid.

Dr. Byron Blagburn, distinguished professor with Auburn University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, said the results “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.”

The FSM program is a monitoring initiative focusing on companion animal parasites and utilizing flea eggs collected from the field in the U.S, Germany, U.K., France and Australia. The large-scale international program was set up in 1999, and according to Bayer, to date has not detected any reduced susceptibility to imidacloprid.

For more information, visit www.bayerhealthcare.com.