Whether the issue is the H1N1 flu virus or the proper age at which women should begin getting regular mammograms, people are always interested in news that affects their health.

Here in Ann Arbor, the health care industry is a major employer, we're an emerging base of biotechnology research and the University of Michigan has been in the news recently for its involvement in the important area of stem cell research.

Put that all together, and it only makes sense that health should emerge as a news topic on AnnArbor.com. We're launching that Health topic today, along with a new topic devoted to Pets.

We have covered health since our launch last July, and that coverage has been led by Tina Reed, our health reporter. Previously, she was a business reporter at The Ann Arbor News, covering life science, health and technology. She has a degree in journalism and health promotion from Michigan State University.

Melissa Gerharter, co-owner of Joust Strength and Fitness in Ann Arbor, writes a regular column called "Tuesdays With the Dietitian."

We're also talking to other local health experts and local health providers about writing for us, and we routinely run health stories from the Associated Press and other sources.

Given the level of health-related coverage we have and the interest of our readers in it, we realized it was time to bring all of that coverage together in a Health topic so that it would be easy to find.

Another topic we have found people are passionate about is their pets, and in response to reader interest, we've launched a Pet topic as well. That topic is overseen by Suzy Sherman, a news producer and copy editor here at AnnArbor.com.

Suzy has a master's degree in journalism from the University of Michigan and has worked in the news business for nearly 19 years. She also has an extensive background in Web development. I should also mention that she has five cats, a dog and a bird, so she's as much a pet-lover as many of our readers are.

Local contributors will also write about pets. They include Deb Kern from the Humane Society of Huron Valley, whose writings will include a pet of the week column, and Bruce and Tracy Willoughby, who write the column "All Things Dog."

We welcome you to visit our Health and Pets topics on a daily basis. You can find them by going to our home page and clicking on the "All Topics & Navigation'' heading in the navigation bar at the top of the page. From there, just click on Health or Pets.