NCJ Number
246763
Journal
Forensic Science International: Genetics Volume: 8 Issue: 1 Dated: January 2014 Pages: 109-112
Date Published
January 2014
Length
3 pages
Annotation
Mosquitoes Culicidae are widespread insects and can be important in forensic context as a source of human DNA.
Abstract
Mosquitoes Culicidae are widespread insects and can be important in forensic context as a source of human DNA. In order to establish the quantity of human DNA in mosquitoes' gut after different post-feeding interval and for how long after taking a bloodmeal the human donor could be identified, 174 blood-engorged mosquitoes subfamily Anophelinae and Culicinae were captured, kept alive and sacrificed at 8h intervals. Human DNA was amplified using forensic PCR kits Identifiler, MiniFiler, and Quantifiler. A full DNA profiles were obtained from all Culicinae mosquitoes 74/74 up to 48h and profiling was successful up to 88h after a bloodmeal. Duration of post-feeding interval had a significant negative effect on the possibility of obtaining a full profile p<0.001, and logistic regression found that the probability of obtaining the full profile is 15.5% less for every 8h increase in post-feeding interval. Culicinae mosquitoes are a suitable source of human DNA for forensic STR kits more than three days after a bloodmeal. Human DNA recovered from mosquito can be used for matching purposes and could be useful in revealing spatial and temporal relation of events that took place at the crime scene. Therefore, mosquitoes at the crime scene, dead or alive, could be a valuable piece of forensic evidence.