Originally from: Farmtalking
                        
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Originally from The Scotsman http://www.news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=2082936

By Graham Hiscott, Consumer Affairs Correspondent, PA News

A new approach to tackling the threat from animal diseases was launched today.

The measures are intended to ensure early detection of a possible outbreak by improving surveillance.

One of the key elements is a multi-million pound IT system called RADAR (Rapid Analysis and Detection of Animal-related Risk) which draws together existing sources of data.

The new “strategy” follows consultation between the Government and the veterinary, farming and wildlife sectors.

The measures are also designed to prevent, and if necessary trace, animal-related illnesses in humans, such as salmonella.

Chief Veterinary Officer Jim Scudamore, Who helped launch the strategy, said: “Our shared vision is of a future where the risk of significant damage to human health, animal health and the rural economy is mitigated by the provision of faster and better informed disease control measures.

“We want to have a future where we are identifying emerging risks faster and assess their potential impact more accurately.”

The strategy was jointly launched by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Scottish Executive, National Assembly for Wales, and the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development in Northern Ireland.

Defra also launched a new website today to provide information on new outbreaks of major diseases around the world and their potential impact on livestock in the UK.