Iron Mon-key

Doctors can't test for excessive iron in all animals yet. But the same cannot be said for some 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, "Hematologic Iron Analyte Values as an Indicator of Hepatic Hemosiderosis in Callitrichidae," is detailed in the most recent edition of The American Journal of Primatology.

Tamarin and marmoset monkeys are able to absorb iron very efficiently from their food and are susceptible to developing high levels of iron in their system. This diagnostic test, also used in humans, is now being implemented as part of the periodic physical exam given to the tamarins and marmosets in WCS's Bronx Zoo.

This condition is also common in humans, with up to 10 percent of people of European origin possessing the gene which could lead to a condition called hemosiderosis. If necessary, veterinarians and curatorial staff can treat abnormalities in iron levels with minor dietary adjustments tailored to the individual animal's needs.

-- LiveScience Staff

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Image Credit: Julie Larsen Maher/Wildlife Conservation Society