Background and Aim: Flemish cattle in Brazil are on the brink of extinction and are found only in one herd in Lages, Santa Catarina State. This study aimed to uncover the reasons for the recurring abortions in the Flemish cattle herd. Materials and Methods: Seventeen Flemish fetuses underwent postmortem examinations, with samples collected for histopathology and microbiology culture tests, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test for Neospora caninum, and reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) test for bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) from 2015 to 2020. Results: Of the 17 fetuses, N. caninum was the most common diagnosis and was found in 88% (15/17). One fetus (5.8%) had a coinfection with N. caninum and Citrobacter amalonaticus, leading to fibrinonecrotic pericarditis. All fetuses tested negative for BVDV by RT-PCR. Of the 107 dams tested by indirect immunofluorescence assay, 26 (25.2%) were anti-N. caninum seropositive, with 17 (65.4%) aborting and 5 (19.2%) having estrus repetition. Reverse transcription-PCR results showed that 9 (8.4%) of the serum samples collected from dams tested positive, which tested follow-up test 3 months later, indicating a BVDV transient infection. The factors that contributed to neosporosis included dogs’ access to pastures and improper disposal of fetal remains, which made it easier for dogs to consume them. Conclusion: This study warns the occurrence of N. caninum as a cause of reproductive disorders that can lead to abortion in the studied Flemish cattle herd. Keywords: abortion, endangered breeds, pathology, protozoan, reproductive disorders.

RESUMOTrueperella pyogenes é uma bactéria oportunista que causa mastite, metrite e abortos esporádicos em bovinos. Este trabalho relata um caso incomum de abort em uma vaca por Trueperella pyogenes. Um feto bovino, fêmea, mestiço Brahman, com oito meses de gestação, foi encaminhado para exame anatomopatológico e exames complementares. Na necropsia, evidenciou-se grande quantidade de líquido serossanguinolento e moderada quantidade de fibrina recobrindo a pleura visceral e o saco pericárdico. Os pulmões estavam difusamente avermelhados e consolidados, com áreas firmes esbranquiçadas ao corte de não mais de 1cm. No exame histopatológico, observou-se pneumonia necrossupurativa, pleurite fibrinopurulenta e placentite purulenta. No exame microbiológico, isolou-se T. pyogenes nas amostras de fígado, pulmões, conteúdo abomasal do feto e placenta. O feto foi negativo na PCR para Neospora caninum, Toxoplasma gondii e vírus da diarreia viral bovina (BVDV). Trueperella pyogenes geralmente causa broncopneumonia supurativa com formação de abscessos, porém, no presente feto abortado, observaram-se lesões macro e microscópicas comumente descritas em casos de aborto por Brucella abortus. Este estudo constata, então, a importância dessa bactéria como causa de aborto em bovinos, com lesões semelhantes à brucelose, destacando sua relevância dentro das causas de aborto em bovinos e o potencial zoonótico pouco explorado.Palavras-chave: morte fetal, ruminantes, zoonose, doença bacteriana ABSTRACT Trueperella pyogenes is an opportunistic bacterium associated with mastitis, metritis and occasional abortion in bovines. Here we report an uncommon case of abortion by T. pyogenes in a cow. An aborted female Brahman bovine fetus, at 8 months of gestational age was submitted for anatomopathological examination and complementary diagnostic tests. Macroscopic findings at necropsy included large amounts of free serum-blood fluid and moderate fibrin deposition covering both the visceral pleura and pericardial sack. The lungs were diffusely reddened and markedly consolidated, showing widespread smaller than 1cm, hard, white nodules. Necrosuppurative pneumonia, fibrinopurulent pleuritis, and purulent placentitis were the main histopathologic alterations observed. Trueperella pyogenes was isolated from liver, lungs, abomasa contents and placental samples. All tissue samples were PCRnegative for Neospora caninum, Toxoplasma gondii and bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV). Although T. pyogenes is often involved in suppurative bronchopneumonia and abscesses formation, macro and microscopic lesions in the present report were compatible with those commonly attributed to Brucella abortus fetal infections. Trueperella pyogenes is an important bovine pathogen with a neglected zoonotic potential being responsible for infections that can mimic other diseases' typical presentations.

Background: Endocarditis is one of the most important heart diseases in cattle and a rare disease in sheep. This illness could be caused by any bacteria when related to bacteremia, being Staphylococcus aureus one uncommon cause for this disorder in ruminants. The clinical sings at the early stages are unspecific and many cases are only diagnosed just at thefinal stages of the disease, resulting in heart insufficiency with bad prognosis. The aim of this study is to report two cases of endocarditis caused by Staphylococcus spp. leading to sepsis in a sheep and osteoarthritis in a cow, showing the importance of this bacteria in the pathogenesis of this disease.Cases: Case 1. A 8-month-old sheep, female, Texel showed lameness in the left thoracic limb, and even treated with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug had anorexia, locomotion difficulty and on the day before of death showed neurological sings, with less than one week of total clinical course. At necropsy, in the heart was observed thrombus in the tricuspid,mitral and aortic valves and pale areas in the myocardium. Multiples abscesses were observed in the lungs, liver and kidneys and infarcts in kidneys, spleen and brain. At the histopathology exam was observed in the tricuspid, mitral and aortic valves subacute endocarditis with intralesional coccoids bacteria Gram positives. There were multifocal fibrinonecrotic myocarditis, abscess in lung, liver and kidney with intralesional bacterial myriads. In kidneys, spleen and brain was observedthrombosis associated to multiple infarct areas. Samples of cardiac thrombus, heart, spleen, kidney and meningeal swabs were submitted for bacterial cultivation and was isolated Staphylococcus aureus in all samples, in pure culture.Case 2. A 2-year-old cow, female, mixed breed Angus and Charolais showed a wound in the distal part of the thoracic limb that was done topical treatment. After a month, was noted submandibular and dewlap edema, prostration, lethargy and fever. Antibiotic treatment was performed having remission of edema and fever, however being lethargic yet. Aftera month post antibiotic treatment, the animal showed bilateral increased of joint volume and a new antibiotic treatment was performed. The X-ray and cytology of the synovial fluid presented septic osteoarthritis in both radiocarpal joint. At necropsy was observed a thrombus in the tricuspid valve of approximately 20x4cm ascending to caudal and cranial cavaveins and a pulmonary abscess. In the left carpometacarpal joint, right antebrachiocarpal joint and stifle joint were observed severe purulent exudation and erosions. At histopathology evaluation of the heart was noted subacute septic endocarditis in tricuspid valve and in the joints was observed subacute fibrinopurulent osteoarthritis. In the swabs of joints and thrombus was identified Staphylococcus coagulase positive.Discussion: Despite the fact of to be skin commensal, S. aureus can enter in the bloodstream and to cause endocarditis, sepsis, abscesses and arthritis. Regard to possible entryways, interdigital pododermatitis and skin superficial lesions can be the entrance of the agent. In both cases the animals showed lesions on the limbs, as possible cause. The relationshipbetween endocarditis and osteoarticular infections is not fully known. In cattle with heart disease was noted that lameness is an important clinical sign and osteoarthritis could be related with endocarditis. Staphylococcus aureus rarely is reported in endocarditis cases in ruminants and the outcomes showed here are uncommon and poorly studied.Descritores: estafilococose, doença cardíaca, poliartrite, bacteremia, ruminantes.