The EDCC will provide accurate information and real-time alerts when disease outbreaks occur. | Photo: Kevin Thompson/TheHorse.com

By Nathaniel A. White II, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVS

In 2010 the American Horse Council (AHC) and the USDA initiated creation of the National Equine Health Plan to improve the health and welfare of horses in the United States and prevent diseases from causing economic disruption in the equine industry, which can result from quarantines and decreased horse transport due to fear of disease spread. One of the plan’s critical parts is development of a communication system capable of alerting all industry members in the event of a disease outbreak. An American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) task force recommended creating the Equine Disease Communication Center (EDCC). Similar to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for human diseases, the EDCC will serve as the official source of information about equine infectious diseases and provide real-time alerts when disease outbreaks such as the neurologic form of herpesvirus infection occur.

What are the EDCC’s Goals?

The EDCC will ensure that up-to-date, accurate information about disease outbreaks is accessible to all horse industry members. As part of the National Equine Health Plan, the EDCC will also help educate owners about endemic and foreign animal disease and promote related research