Russian veterinary officials say the outbreak involves pasteurellosis, rabies and other unspecified diseases. But the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) said the scale of the crisis may indicate a possible, but unconfirmed, outbreak of foot-and-mouth, a highly contagious viral disease affecting cloven-hoofed livestock. Russia was officially recognized by the World Organisation for Animal Health as foot-and-mouth-disease-free in 2025. But the FAS has published a Russian document dated February 25 showing that livestock exports from 15 affected regions in Siberia and central Russia had been banned. The ban suggests that the outbreak could have broad consequences for Russia’s agricultural exports.