What is the EDCC?

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 communication system 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.

Why is this information important?

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, cancelled 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.

How does the EDCC work?

Reports of infectious and vector-borne disease cases are received from a state veterinarian, state animal health official or attending veterinarian and are confirmed and formed into comprehensive alerts, which are then posted on the on the EDCC Outbreak Alerts page. Alerts are sent to subscribers by email and posted social media (check out our Facebook and Twitter pages). The email blast list is a free service. Anyone can sign up for EDCC email alerts on our sign-up page. For more information on how alerts are formed and how the EDCC functions, visit the EDCC Frequently Asked Questions page.

The EDCC is an industry-funded, non-profit organization which can only function thanks to dozens of sponsors. 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”.