A three-part series assessing our preparedness in the face of national crises. 2: Sue Broom looks at the lessons learned from the 2001 foot-and-mouth epidemic. Veterinarians, farmers, scientists and civil servants all agree that speed is the key to combating the disease. Will improved contingency planning and speedier "pen-side" diagnostics help prevent such devastating outbreaks in the future?
What can we do about other diseases like Bluetongue and Rinderpest that could have an equally destructive impact on livestock farming? Producer John Watkins