Donald Trump presidential odds slashed as bookies respond to Hillary Clinton's pneumonia

Ms Clinton remains the slight favourite but her illness comes as her lead in national polls has narrowed

Mark Walheiser/Getty

Hillary Clinton was the strong favourite among bookmakers going into the general election but, as the candidates inch toward the finish line, the gap between them has all but closed after it emerged she was suffering from pneumonia.

Ms Clinton’s health became the subject of intense media speculation following an apparent fainting spell during the 9/11 memorial service on Sunday morning. Shortly afterwards her aides revealed she was diagnosed with pneumonia on Friday.

While Ms Clinton maintains a small lead over Donald Trump, online bookies have slashed the New York real estate mogul's odds of winning following the health scare. According to Betway, Mr Trump has an 11-8 shot at taking the White House – meaning one would have to wager $8 to win $11 - down from 15-8.

The odds increased for the former Secretary of State to 8-15, only a slightly better bet than the former reality television star.

Third party candidate Gary Johnson remains an outside 200-1 shot at pulling off a win.

“Hillary’s illness couldn’t come at a worse time as the race had narrowed significantly in the past fortnight, with Trump gaining three or four points in the polls,” said Alan Alger of Betway. “Now presented with a 48-hour window without his rival on the campaign trail, Trump could make further inroads as we approach the all-important debates.”

Mr Alger explained, however, that Mr Trump would “need an impressive, composed performance” in the upcoming debates against his Democratic rival to win over voters in swing states.

Ms Clinton currently has a three-point lead in national polls, according to the RealClear Politics national average – placing Mr Trump well within striking distance, but he faces a much greater challenge beyond the general electorate.

Latino Decisions found that Mr Trump would only win 17 per cent of the Latino vote, according to an 8 September poll. That number is startlingly less than the 27 per cent received by former Massachusetts Gov Mitt Romney in the 2012 election – and as the Latino population continues to grow in the US, so does the number of votes a candidate would need to win from that segment of the population.

And when it comes to the black vote – which has polled as low as one and zero per cent at times – the odds are against Mr Trump.