Welcome to this episode of Disease Du Jour on the topic of EDCC Review of Diseases with Dr. Nat White. Dr. White was the driving force for the creation of the Equine Disease Communication Center also known as the EDCC.
Read the podcast transcript here.
A Professor Emeritus of Equine Surgery at the Marion duPont Scott Equine Medical Center in Leesburg, Virginia, White and I will discuss the past two years of disease reports from the Equine Disease Communication Center.
EquiManagement’s Disease Du Jour podcast is focused on equine research and current best practices. Disease Du Jour is brought to you in 2021 by Merck Animal Health.
As a little background: The Equine Disease Communication Center (EDCC) is an industry-driven initiative which works to protect horses and the horse industry from the threat of infectious diseases in North America. The EDCC is designed to seek and report real-time information about diseases similar to how the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) alerts the human population about diseases in people.
The first priority of the EDCC is to protect and improve the health of horses in North America. Real-time information on infectious disease alerts, quarantines, and regulations are vital to helping horse owners keep their animals safe and healthy.
Infectious disease alerts have a profound and lasting effect on local economy and can result in millions lost in revenue due to horse loss, quarantine, canceled events, resources allocated to containing outbreaks, and decreased horse movement. The EDCC works to provide up-to-date, completely verified, and easily accessible information that is comprehensible to equestrians in every facet of the industry. In this way the EDCC helps to decrease the economic impact of infectious diseases on the $122-billion horse industry.
Topics Covered:
- Where do reports come from?
- Why are diseases “reportable” in some states and not others?
- How can veterinarians receive the EDCC alerts?
- How can veterinarians get involved in reporting confirmed disease?
- Disease reports from 2021, 2020 and 2019
Reminder: The EDCC website has factsheets and biosecurity recommendations created for owners as well as and links to AAEP guidelines. All can be viewed and downloaded from the website and EDCC mobile phone app.
We want to remind our listeners that the EDCC is an industry-funded, non-profit organization which can only function thanks to dozens of sponsors including owners, veterinarians, veterinary practices, horse organizations and companies. To help support the EDCC, please consider making a tax-deductible donation through The Foundation for the Horse with the designation for the Equine Disease Communication Center under “Type of Gift.”
EquiManagement’s Disease Du Jour podcast is focused on equine research and current best practices. Disease Du Jour is brought to you in 2020 by Merck Animal Health.