Risk assessment

Risk assessment is a tool for the objective evaluation of risk, and is increasingly used in veterinary epidemiology - in particular, in relation to international trade in animals and animal products. Risk assessment forms a part of an overarching risk analysis process, which also incorporates risk management (the process whereby the risk is reduced) and risk communication (which involves the dissemination of relevant information to stakeholders). In risk assessment, the concept of risk can be viewed as the product of the likelihood of an event occurring and the consequences of that event.

Hazard identification

Before a risk assessment can be conducted, the hazard of interest must be identified (although in some risk assessment frameworks, this stage is included as a component of the risk assessment stage itself). It is vital that all hazards of interest are identified, as if they are not identified in this stage, they will not be accounted for in the final risk assessment. Examples of hazards are 'the movement of at least one animal infected with pathogen x into a country over the course of one year', 'a level of contamination of meat of more than CFUs of Salmonella per cm2'