Status of the Equine Disease Communication Center (EDCC)

1. 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

2. 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

3. 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

4. AAEP Leadership Formed Task Force—Fall 2011 Task Force Members 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 • 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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.

12. 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

13. 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

14. 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.

15. 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

16. 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

17. March 2014 • Draft communication protocols with scenarios are completed. • The protocols are being reviewed by the AAEP task force and selected SAHO’s

18. 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): Thepoint 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.

19. 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.

20. 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.

21. 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.

22. 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.

23. 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 herpesvirusinfection and biosecurity.

24. What do we know for sure? An outbreak will happen again!