Opossums a vector for FeVL?

[ETrent]

People tease me about my "pet possums"...they like to climb one of the big climbing roses, hang out on the front porch and eat cat food.  I give them bananas and cheese and they are so tame that I can pet them.  I have three generations - including this years babies.  (I've probably told the story of contacting the National Opossum Society to make sure they weren't sick or something...sent pics...talked over an hour...etc).   I regularly email one of my vet tech's - and I sent her a picture of one of the possums.  She totally grossed out LOL  They are really very sweet creatures though - truly.  The vet tech has 12 horses though and is very 'anti-possum'.  She's a first rate vet-tech though and I very much value her skill and opinion.  Today she told me - "you DO know don't you that possums are a vector for leukemia?".  No - I did not know that...and as much as I respect and admire her...I'm not sure I believe it.  Anyone else heard of such a thing?  It just doesn't make sense to me...isn't this strictly a feline disease?  She said they were a major vector for rabies too - and while that may be true..the people at the National Opossum society would beg to differ with her.   I totally don't know -- but thankfully, ignorance is curable.   I do like this vet tech though...she overheard my conversation with the receptionist this morning when I called about Antonio.  The receptionist said it was "probably nothing"...but this vet tech said, "If Miss Trent says there's something wrong with one of her cats --- then there is something wrong with one of her cats".  That made me feel good.  She said I was very intuitive about my babies but I'm not so sure because if I were then I would have gotten Antonio to the vet sooner.   elizabeth