title: Identification of person and quantification of human DNA recovered from mosquitoes (Culicidae).
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 48 h and profiling was successful up to 88 h 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.
authors: Laboratory for DNA analysis, School of Medicine, J. J. Strossmayer University, Osijek, J. Huttlera 4, Croatia; Department of Pathology and Legal medicine, Clinical Hospital Centre, Osijek, J. Huttlera 4, Croatia. Electronic address: gcuric@mefos.hr.
authors: Goran
authors: G
authors: Curic
authors: Rajna
authors: R
authors: Hercog
authors: Zvonimir
authors: Z
authors: Vrselja
authors: Jasenka
authors: J
authors: Wagner
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D009033:Culicidae / Q000235:genetics*; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D018732:Forensic Anthropology; D053803:Forensic Genetics; D006801:Humans; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D004247:DNA
keywords: Culicidae; DNA fingerprinting; Forensic entomology; Human DNA STR typing; Human identification; Mosquito