Russia Cattle Disease Outbreak: Fears & Diagnosis Doubts

Cattle diseases, officially identified as pasteurellosis or rabies, have spread across at least 10 regions of Russia as of Wednesday, prompting sweeping culls and sparking questions from farmers and scientists regarding the diagnoses and official responses.

Russia Cattle Disease Outbreak Raises Concerns

Officials on Wednesday imposed a cattle quarantine in part of the Chuvashia region, located more than 2,500km west of Siberia’s Novosibirsk region, where a state of emergency has already been declared.

Farmers in Novosibirsk have been confronting police and officials in what are being described as the largest non-political protests since the start of the war in Ukraine. These farmers contend that pasteurellosis, a bacterial infection, is treatable with antibiotics.

Veterinary expert Svetlana Shchepyotkina stated that regulations require treatment of animals sick with pasteurellosis and vaccination of healthy herds, and that animals with rabies should only be removed after confirmed diagnosis.

“Destroying livestock due to pasteurellosis is sheer unprofessionalism and, frankly, outright madness,” Shchepyotkina said.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that rapid action is needed in such cases, but did not provide further comment. The agriculture ministry did not respond to a request for comment.

A government commission, led by Sergei Dankvert, head of the agriculture watchdog, has arrived in the affected region to examine local measures, including the burning of culled cattle.

Outbreaks have also been reported in regions bordering Novosibirsk, including the Republic of Altai, which shares a border with China, a country known for its strict veterinary controls.

Russia aims to increase agricultural exports by 50 percent by 2030 to diversify its economy, focusing on China and other Asian markets amid Western sanctions, and has been working to align its veterinary rules with global standards. The current outbreak could potentially hinder these ambitions.

Under World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) rules, pasteurellosis does not require mandatory reporting. Russia received WOAH recognition as a foot-and-mouth-disease-free territory in 2025.

Farmers in Novosibirsk reported that a regional emergency was declared as early as mid-February but was kept secret until this week, contributing to a growing sense of mistrust.

Anton Dolzhenko, a veteran of the war in Ukraine, posted a video stating that all the cattle he purchased with state compensation had been seized. “My animals had been vaccinated, but they have not even been tested; therefore, there is no confirmation that they are sick,” Dolzhenko said, adding that the disease and the emergency order were “as secret” as each other.

So far, removals in Novosibirsk have primarily targeted small private farms, with officials citing failures to adhere to vaccination schedules. The quarantine in Chuvashia applies to some larger farms.