Proceedings of the First Symposium on Marsupials in New Zealand
Clinical Effects
Clinical Effects
No detailed clinical observations have been made on tuberculosis in the possum. Wild possums with advanced tuberculosis have occasionally been observed wandering about in the open during daylight hours. They appear dazed and do not respond to the approach of man.
Following experimental infection with M. bovis the onset of the illness was quite abrupt. The possums became quiet, less responsive to stimuli and less resistant to handling. They lost their appetite and body condition: the degree of loss being dependent on the duration of illness. Clinical signs were observed for approximately 14 days prior to death regardless of the length of the premonitory period (O'Hara et al. 1976).