Veterinarians adapt human tests for monkeys

A medical test developed to detect an overload of iron in humans has recently been adapted to screen for the condition in some distant relatives: diminutive monkeys from South America, according to veterinarians at the Wildlife Conservation Society. The test—which is now used to screen for elevated iron levels in marmosets and tamarins—is a recent example of how advances in human health can be applied to animals in zoological parks and in the wild. The study, titled "Hematologic Iron Analyte Values as an Indicator of Hepatic Hemosiderosis in Callitrichidae," appears in the most recent edition of the The American Journal of Primatology. "With this test, we can easily and safely monitor the iron levels in marmosets and tamarins for early identification of individuals that may be predisposed to develop hemosiderosis, an overload... [read full story]