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In an era when misinformation spreads rapidly, the

During an equine disease outbreak, you want current and accurate information about how to keep your horse safe. Getting that in the Internet age, however, can be tricky. Outdated and inaccurate information can spread with every well-intentioned click of a “share” button, and the true nature of an outbreak and its aftermath can be difficult to discern. The Equine Disease Communication Center (EDCC) is hoping to change that.

A clearinghouse for information on infectious equine disease outbreaks, the EDCC seeks to provide something that can be in short supply during a veterinary crisis: timely, reliable information. The EDCC website, www. equinediseasecc.org, provides updates on cases of herpesvirus, strangles and other infectious diseases based on information from local veterinarians and state animal health officials.

Provided by the U.S. Equestrian Federation, the website has been active since the spring of 2014. But only recently has the EDCC made a concerted effort to reach horse owners through social media. The organization plans to take the outreach even further, including establishing a call center that would allow owners to call in with information or questions about disease occurrences.

“Our goal is to bring outbreak information directly to horse owners as soon as it can be verified and to make it extremely easy for owners to find information that helps them protect their horses when they need it,” says Bailey McCallum, communication manager for the EDCC, which operates out of the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) office in Lexington, Kentucky.