Boehringer Ingelheim and the Equine Network LLC are pleased to announce a three-year collaboration to support the Equine Disease Communication Center (EDCC) and its goal of disseminating reliable, timely information about equine diseases.

The new program will provide disease alerts containing additional information about diagnosis, prevention, treatment, and biosecurity, and donate a share of the sponsorship money to the EDCC to further its mission.

Equine Network brands that will be actively involved in this program are EQUUS, The Horse, Practical Horseman, Horse&Rider, and EquiManagement.

“The EDCC serves a critical role in protecting horses from infectious disease,” said Nathaniel White, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVS, director of the EDCC. “The support of the Equine Network and Boehringer Ingelheim is essential to make sure the EDCC can continue to provide this information service seven days a week.”

“As a leader in the equine industry through research, innovation and the development of a comprehensive portfolio of health care products, including vaccines, Boehringer Ingelheim is proud to partner with the Equine Network and EDCC,” said Amanda McAvoy, executive director, head of U.S. Equine Business. “This initiative is one more opportunity for our organization to continue its efforts to educate horse owners and help them provide the best care possible to their horses.”

“We are thrilled to be able to amplify the reach of the reliable disease information that the Equine Disease Communication Center is creating,” said Kimberly S. Brown, group publisher of the Equine Health Network at the Equine Network. “Boehringer Ingelheim is the perfect partner to help us not only serve the horses, horse owners, event managers and veterinarians who rely on this information, but to help us support the EDCC in bringing even more disease reports to the industry.”

The EDCC launched in May 2015 and, as of late April 2022, provided 2,558 alerts covering 5,182 outbreaks/cases (note that outbreaks often have more than one affected horse).

The EDCC was conceived as part of the National Equine Health Plan after the EHV-1 outbreak at the Ogden, Utah cutting horse show in 2011 involving 242-plus equine premises in 19 states and two Canadian providences. Breaches in biosecurity were found to be a significant cause for the outbreak. It was apparent that a universal communication system for the equine industry was needed to prevent unnecessary horse and economic loss. The EDCC now provides the equine industry with critical, real-time information about disease outbreaks in North America and serves as an online resource to educate the industry about diseases and biosecurity.

A recent survey sent to EDCC email subscribers in the U.S. and Canada showed that 79% were horse owners, 24% were veterinarians, 20% were horse facility owners and 12% were facility and event managers. Respondents indicated that:

• 46% had changed management based on the information about an outbreak
• 69% wanted the disease alert information as soon as the disease is reported
• 84% said there wasn’t a better source of equine disease information

The collaboration was announced at the 2022 American Horse Publications seminar, held May 12-14, in Lexington, Kentucky. Boehringer Ingelheim hosted the welcome reception and used that gathering to show their support to the industry and their dedication to the health and welfare of the horses we all love and serve.