The primary agent of actinomicosis/mandibular osteomyelitis is Actinomyces bovis that infects mainly bones of the oral cavity of cattle, resulting in economic losses due to weight loss caused by pain on chewing. The diagnosis is usually made by a good clinical examination, radiographic, bacterioscopy and microbiological culture. This report describes the case of a sheep that had localized increase of the jaw, where the material from the lesion was collected for microbiological and histopathological diagnosis. Osteomyelitis was demonstrated by radiography. Piogranuloma was observed at the histophatology. Bacterioscopy evidenced a Gram-positive, branched, filamentous and catalase negative agent. The main clinical findings and diagnoses confirmed the occurrence of unusual jaw infection by A. bovis in a sheep.
Actinomyces bovis; actinomicosis; mandibular osteomyelitis; lumpy jaw