Current practices in nutrition management and disease incidence of common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus)

• DOI: 10.1111/jmp.12525
• Publication Date: 2021-04-29T05:36:26Z
• Authors: Anna Goodroe; Lynn Wachtman; William Benedict; Krystal Allen‐Wor...; Jaco Bakker; Monika Burns; Leslie Lynn Diaz; Edward Dick; Mary Dickerson; Steven J. Eliades; Olga Gonzalez; Dina‐Jo Graf; Keren Haroush; Takashi Inoue; Jessica Izzi; Allison Laudano; Donna Layne‐Colon; Mathias Leblanc; Brian Ludwig; Andres Mejia; Cory Miller; Anna Sarfaty; Megan Sosa; Eric Vallender; Celeste Brown; Larry Forney; Nancy Schultz‐Darken; Ricki Colman; Michael Power; Saverio Capuano; Corinna Ross; Suzette Tardif
• Keywords: 0301 basic medicine; 2. Zero hunger; Bone Diseases, Metabolic; 03 medical and health sciences; Incidence; Animals; Callithrix; Obesity; Diet; 3. Good health

AbstractBackgroundA survey was developed to characterize disease incidence, common pathology lesions, environmental characteristics, and nutrition programs within captive research marmoset colonies.MethodsSeventeen research facilities completed the electronic survey.ResultsNutritional management programs varied amongst research institutions housing marmosets; eight primary base diets were reported. The most common clinical syndromes reported were gastrointestinal disease (i.e. inflammatory bowel disease like disease, chronic lymphocytic enteritis, chronic malabsorption, chronic diarrhea), metabolic bone disease or fracture, infectious diarrhea, and oral disease (tooth root abscesses, gingivitis, tooth root resorption). The five most common pathology morphologic diagnoses were colitis, nephropathy/nephritis, enteritis, chronic lymphoplasmacytic enteritis, and cholecystitis. Obesity was more common (average 20% of a reporting institution's population) than thin body condition (average 5%).ConclusionsThrough review of current practices, we aim to inspire development of evidence‐based practices to standardize husbandry and nutrition practices for marmoset research colonies.