New Zealand: Wobbly possum disease virus

Viral RNA load and histological changes in tissues following experimental infection with an arterivirus of possums (wobbly possum disease virus)

Julia Giles, Matthew Perrott, Wendi Roe, Kshitiz Shrestha, Danielle Aberdein, Patrick Morel, Magdalena Dunowska | School of Veterinary Science, Massey University, Tennent Drive, Palmerston North, New Zealand | 2018 | Virology; vol. 52, pp.73-80

Wobbly possum disease is a fatal neurological disease of the brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula). Very limited knowledge is currently known about the histology and infectious dose of the viral disease. In this study, immunohistochemistry and RT-qPCR using the MIC Real-Time Cycler were used to determine the viral DNA load and location of infection in experimentally infected possums. The virus was found to have a high tropism for macrophage-rich tissues as high levels of viral RNA were detected in lymph nodes, livers and spleens of the infected possums. Moderate amounts of viral RNA were present in serum and salivary glands, suggesting that blood and saliva may be a means of transmission.