Russia’s agricultural oversight agency blamed a livestock disease outbreak in the Novosibirsk region on government missteps, an atypical strain of pasteurellosis, a bacterial infection, and harsh weather. The Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance, known as Rosselkhoznadzor, issued the explanation in response to a formal inquiry from Yuri Sinelshchikov, a Communist Party (KPRF) member of the State Duma, the lower house of Russia’s parliament, who had asked authorities to account for the mass illness among animals in the region. Ksenia Sobchak published the agency’s reply on her Telegram channel Krovavaya Barynya (Bloody Lady of the Manor).
The conditions that allowed the disease to spread into the Novosibirsk region included the regional government’s failure to act in time, a lack of accurate livestock records, and conditions that permitted animals to be moved without authorization, Rosselkhoznadzor stated.
The situation was further complicated by atypical strains of the pasteurellosis pathogen, which combined with severe weather and weakened immune systems in livestock to produce an acute form of the disease, the agency stated.
No new cases had been recorded in the Novosibirsk region for more than 20 days, Rosselkhoznadzor added. The situation was under the control of federal and regional authorities and would be fully stabilized shortly, the agency stated.
Since late 2025, several Russian regions, including the Novosibirsk region, have been hit by a widespread livestock disease outbreak. Authorities seized and killed animals, citing outbreaks of rabies and pasteurellosis, a bacterial infection. Farmers responded with protests and road blockades.
Pasteurellosis in animals is treatable with antibiotics and does not legally require the slaughter of sick livestock. For that reason, experts and sources at the Russian business daily Kommersant suggested the actual disease could be something more serious: foot-and-mouth disease.
In early April, Chinese authorities reported an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in 2 cattle herds in the country’s northwest. One of the affected regions borders the Altai Republic, which had earlier experienced its own mass livestock illness.
At Meduza, we are committed to transparency about our use of artificial intelligence in the newsroom. The story you’re reading was written by one of our living, breathing journalists and translated from Russian using an AI model configured to follow our strict editorial standards. This translation process is the result of extensive testing and refinements to ensure our English-language coverage is timely and accurate. A Meduza editor reviews every draft before publication.
If you find any errors in this translation, please contact us at [email protected].
To read Meduza’s exclusive content in English, please subscribe to our newsletter.
