Thread: TB In Hawkes Bay

Originally Posted by TLB

You would think so. But where a large percentage of the Tb popped up in Hawkes Bay the possum numbers are extremely low. Nearly 20 years of control some of it had had and through a lot of that time 1% no line over 1 was the rtc rate. A fair chunk had been rolled out of the Tb Free program as it was declared free of Tb and a large portion of the remaining area in the program was due to be rolled out of the program the year the big outbreak happened.
One of the farms that has got it twice, records show not a single possum has been caught off that property for several years.
No doubt possums have a major role to play in the spread of Tb but also keep in mind that if farmed deer can contract Tb then farms with mobs of 20 plus deer most certainly could too, especially considering a deer will often not seccumb to Tb so can harbor it for a decade or more.

Yes. It is the wild deer population that cant maintain a critical level of TB to be regarded as an important vector. Non 'possum related spread ((animal to animal) is not difficult to stamp out once identified. If 'possum numbers are low in new infection areas it is a blessing.