Mass cattle slaughter underway in Russia. Authorities say it’s lumpy skin disease. Farmers say it’s foot-and-mouth.

In Russia’s Kemerovo region, cattle are being culled, and checkpoints are being set up around farms and agricultural facilities. According to the official version, the cows are being euthanized due to a skin disease. Unofficially, however, sources say it may be foot-and-mouth disease, an acute viral infection that has also been detected in cattle in the Novosibirsk region. Preliminary reports suggest that between 2,000 and 4,000 cows were killed in one village in Kuzbass over the past week. Here’s what we know.

Original source: Meduza