title: Experimental inoculation of North American opossums (Didelphis virginiana) with Mycobacterium bovis.
abstract: Eight North American opossums (Didelphis virginiana) were inoculated with 1 x 10(5) colony forming units of Mycobacterium bovis to investigate their potential as reservoir hosts for bovine tuberculosis in Michigan. Four animals received this dose orally and four were inoculated intramuscularly (i.m.). In each group, two animals were euthanized 1 mo postinoculation (PI) and two at 2 mo PI. Four control animals were housed separately and sacrificed in the same manner as those inoculated. One of four orally inoculated opossums and three of four i.m.-inoculated opossums were positive for M. bovis by culture of tissues obtained at necropsy. The oral recipient had positive cultures from intestine and pooled lymphoid samples. Pooled lymphoid samples were positive in three i.m.-inoculated animals and two of these also had positive liver and lung cultures. One animal with gross and histologic lesions compatible with tuberculosis had negative tissue cultures. The findings suggest that opossums are susceptible to M. bovis infection by multiple routes, although their relative susceptibility compared to true reservoir hosts appears to be low.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathobiology and Diagnostic Investigation, College of Veterinary Medicine, Michigan State University, P.O. Box 30076, Lansing, Michigan 48909, USA.
authors.forename: Kelly L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Diegel
authors.forename: Scott D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Fitzgerald
authors.forename: Dale E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Berry
authors.forename: Steven V
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Church
authors.forename: Willie M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Reed
authors.forename: James G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Sikarskie
authors.forename: John B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Kaneene
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004197:Disease Reservoirs / Q000662:veterinary; D004198:Disease Susceptibility / Q000662:veterinary; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D008168:Lung / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008824:Michigan; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D009163:Mycobacterium bovis / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D009893:Opossums; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011897:Random Allocation; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*