Journal article

Serological evidence for the presence of wobbly possum disease virus in Australia

A Tolpinrud, SM Firestone, A Diaz-Méndez, L Wicker, SE Lynch, M Dunowska, JM Devlin

Plos One | PUBLIC LIBRARY SCIENCE | Published : 2020

Abstract

Wobbly possum disease virus (WPDV) is an arterivirus that was originally identified in common brushtail possums (Trichosurus vulpecula) in New Zealand, where it causes severe neurological disease. In this study, serum samples (n = 188) from Australian common brushtail, mountain brushtail (Trichosurus cunninghami) and common ringtail (Pseudocheirus peregrinus) possums were tested for antibodies to WPDV using ELISA. Antibodies to WPDV were detected in possums from all three species that were sampled in the states of Victoria and South Australia. Overall, 16% (30/188; 95% CI 11.0-22.0) of possums were seropositive for WPDV and 11.7% (22/188; 95% CI 7.5-17.2) were equivocal. The frequency of WPD..

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Grants

Awarded by Massey University Research Fund


Funding Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Massey University Research Fund (grant number 20774) and Zoos Victoria (research scholarship; no specific grant number). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.