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Status of the Equine Disease Communication Center
(EDCC)
Josie Traub-Dargatz
DVM, MS, DACVIM
Professor of Equine Medicine
Colorado State University
College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
And
AAEP National Equine Health Plan Task Force Member
Reasons for Equine Disease Communication Plan
Timely provision of reliable information Living in a different time when social media
results in a rapid and wide distribution of information that can impact the equine industry during outbreak situations
Equine practitioners and equine owners, trainers and event organizers have indicated a need for a communication plan to provide factual information especially when multiple states have exposed horses
Reasons for Equine Disease Communication Plan
Limit spread of infectious disease agents
Maintain as much business continuity as possible while applying sound decision making related to containment of disease
AAEP Leadership Formed Task Force—Fall 2011
Task Force Members
Dr. Nat White (chair) Dr. Peter Timoney Dr. Josie Traub-Dargatz Dr. Rick Arthur Dr. Jerry Black Dr. Linda Mittel American Horse Council at
hoc representation
The Task: as part of an initial part of National Equine
Health Plan develop strategy for equine infectious disease outbreak communication and
present this to equine industry leaders, State Animal Health Officials
(SAHO’s) and USDA APHIS VS
Task Force Recommendations To AAEP Board of Directors
Communication would be facilitated through creation of an Equine Disease Communication Center (EDCC) Will require industry agreement and financial support Will need to be staffed in order to provide timely accurate
information Will need to develop a triage system for information
provided that would allow it to be sorted and routed appropriately by type of disease and situational categories
Will need to develop criteria for deciding who needs to know, how, and when
Task Force Recommendations To AAEP Board of Directors
Create an EDCC website for posting of outbreak information if deemed appropriate once through the triage system
Provide educational information about equine contagious diseases and biosecurity measures related to specific infectious diseases by posting information on the website
Recommendations To AAEP Board of Directors
EDCC will need to network with all SAHO’s and USDA-APHIS-VS about equine infectious disease outbreaks Two way communication
Develop a protocol for communication with media and the public This would be disease and situation dependent
Use flow charts to illustrate proposed communication plan: 4 flow charts were created for outbreak at 1) equine event, 2) farm, 3)sale and 4) race track by disease type
Communication Plan Activities in 2012
In April 2012 draft plan approved by AAEP Board of Directors (BOD) for presentation to American Horse Council (AHC)
In June 2012, draft plan with simplified flow charts was presented to American Horse Council Health and Regulatory Committee by Dr. Nat White and was adopted in concept by the American Horse Council Board of Trustees
Dr. White presented the proposed plan in July, 2012 on National Equine Industry conference call
Next Steps for EDCC
Conference calls were conducted by AHC and Dr. White to facilitate more in depth discussion among industry leaders
Meeting held in December 2012 with equine association leaders, President of National Assembly of SAHO’s and Chair of USAHA IDOHC
Continued Progress of EDCC
June 2013 workshop conducted as part of AHC meeting Equine industry stakeholders,
SAHO’s and USDA APHIS VS agreed with concept of communication center which would involve all parts of the industry and recommended that we should move ahead with creating the EDCC.
In Kind Support for EDCC
September 2013: leadership of USEF volunteered their call center to receive and direct communications and to create and serve as the home for the EDCC website
USAHA October 2013
Dr. Nat White presented the EDCC concept and progress to date to National Assembly of SAHO’s SAHO’s unanimously supportive of concept
Resolution #15; USAHA urges USDA, AHC, AAEP, other equine industry representatives and NASAHO to collaborate in establishment of EDCC
Further Progress
Industry representatives including leadership from AAEP met with the APHIS Administrator and Deputy Administrator of USDA APHIS VS on September 26, 2013 December 2013, USDA-APHIS-VS provides
written response to stakeholders confirming USDA’s support and role in completing NEHP including the EDCC.
December 2013 Meeting
Task force and invited guests have face to face meeting Develop plan for website format and information to be
included Develop disease list for the website Develop communication protocol with scenarios Determine needed links for the Website Determine list of contacts for all horse industry groups Need to examine other efforts at business continuity
plans
February 2014
AAEP Board passes a plan for EDCC business and operations
AAEP will house the EDCC office AAEP will manage EDCC personnel AAEP is working to have a foundation receive
donations and provide funds for EDCC expenses
AHC working with equine industry to identify funding for a three year implementation of EDCC
March 2014
Draft communication protocols with scenarios are completed.
The protocols are being reviewed by the AAEP task force and selected SAHO’s
Proposed Roles within EDCC EDCC CALL CENTER: The CALL CENTER (USEF)
answers the EDCC phone number (859-233-3322) and records the date, time and all caller information.
EDCC Communications Tech (CTECH): The point of contact for the CALL CENTER. Works as the communication hub and maintains the EDCC office.
EDCC Administrator (ADMIN): The point of contact for the CTECH, directs and facilitates transfer of information from the CTECH to SAHO’s or veterinarians involved in outbreaks or potential outbreaks.
Equine Stakeholders: All organizations and constituents on the EDCC communication list.
Proposed Basic Communication Protocols for EDCC
The CALL CENTER only releases information approved by the CTECH or ADMIN
All calls or electronic communications are recorded and archived.
Information about a reportable disease is not released from the EDCC without the approval of the SAHO.
Proposed Basic Communication Protocols
The ADMIN with the help of subject matter experts provided by AAEP and other resources determines what information is released for non-reportable diseases.
Information about an ongoing disease outbreak will be posted at a minimum of once daily even if it reports no change.
Draft EDCC Scenario
The EDCC communication technician observes messages on social media suggesting there is a case of EHM at an equine event in Colorado. Posts have shown up on Twitter and Facebook.
Draft EDCC Scenario
Response: The CTECH has SAHO’s 24/7 point of contact
information. They call seeking confirmation of a neurologic form of herpesvirus infection.
The SAHO in Colorado contacts the show manager to determine if a neurologic form of herpesvirus is present or suspected.
The SAHO confirms that a suspect EHM case has been identified and samples for testing have been collected.
Draft EDCC Scenario
The SAHO returns a call to the CTECH and relates the current status e.g. there is a suspect case of EHM and approves a statement to be posted on the EDCC website and to be sent out by CTECH through email blast to equine stakeholders.
To help prevent spread of possible infection an email blast and website posting directs equine stakeholders to links to credible information sources on herpesvirus infection and biosecurity.
What do we know for sure?
An outbreak will
happen again!