On-Site Inspection Form in Veterinary Cases: The Parma Veterinary Form.

The on-site inspection of the scene of an animal cadaver is crucial for a correct interpretation of the autopsy results, to determine the manner, method, and cause of death. This information plays a crucial role in the control of public health including the prevention of zoonoses. It is also fundamental for the recognition and the contrast of crimes against animals and to animal abuse phenomena, considered an alert sign of an anti-social or violent behavior of humans. Today the best veterinary procedure requires an accurate collection of the evidence at the scene that can be then handed to experts belonging to other forensic disciplines for further evaluation and data interpretation. In this paper authors suggest a form aiming to facilitate either the on-site and the autopsy activities, as a guarantee of the quality of the forensic process starting from the discovery scene up to the reconstruction of the case. Essential is training of non-medical personnel who often represent the first responder to be present on the scene. The form is inspired by the interdisciplinary form developed by the European Council of Legal Medicine and represents an initial tool to stimulate a multidisciplinary activity in close synergy with other forensic experts.

Persistence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in post-mortem swab 35 days after death: A case report.

Post-mortem swabs for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) RNA detection have been recommended by several Scientific Committees and Institutions as a standard procedure for post-mortem assessment of potential Coronavirus Disease-19 (COVID-19) related deaths. To date there is no data about the SARS-CoV-2 RNA detectability period in human bodies after death. The present case documents the persistence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in the upper respiratory tract 35-days after death. Post-mortem swabs could be used as a valuable tool in preventive evaluation of the risks-benefits ratio associated with autopsy execution. SARS-CoV-2 RNA post-mortem detection could have a key diagnostic role in deaths lacking medical assistance, unattended deaths, and patients with multiple comorbidities. Based on the present report, staged post-mortem swabs should be performed even after a long post-mortem interval.

Cutaneous wound metallic residues pattern analysis with SEM-EDX in a forensic case of overkill.

The term overkill identifies the infliction of massive injuries that greatly exceed those needed to kill the victim both in number and intensity. We present the case of a Peruvian transsexual, who was choked and hit by 11 sharp-force wounds all in the facial area. The scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersion X-ray analysis carried out on the skin of the facial wounds proved crucial in proving that two different point-and-edge weapons were used, following the finding of metallic micro-traces of heterogeneous composition. This discovery and the autopsy highlighted the use of two distinct types of injury (mechanical asphyxia and sharp-force trauma) showed that this murder amounted to overkill.

Decomposition pattern and insect colonization in two cases of suicide by hanging.

Hanging is one of the most common methods of suicide worldwide. Despite the high incidence, only a little knowledge about the pattern of cadaver colonization by insects on hanging corpse is available. Different types of hanging can alter the body decomposition process as well as the pattern and rate of insect colonization. Two case studies where the hanging occurred with a similar postmortem interval of 34 days are described. The two bodies showed different patterns of insect colonization and decomposition scored using the Total Body Score (TBS) and the TBS for hanging (TBShang). The first case was about the body of a 24-years-old male, with mummification of the unclothed upper anatomical parts. A TBS of 14 and a TBShang of 18 were assigned. The second body, belonging to a 15-years-old male, was found pre-skeletonized lying on the ground with the skull disarticulated. A TBS of 31 and a TBShang of 32 were assigned. Average temperatures of (21.5 ± 2.5) °C for the first body and (25.1 ± 2.7) °C for the second body were recorded in the 34 days preceding the bodies' discovery for a total of 731 and 853 Accumulated Degree Days (ADD) respectively. According to previous studies, the different decomposition patterns were related to temperatures of exposition and to the diversity of arthropod community found on the bodies because of the different types of hanging: totally suspended vs. in contact with the soil. The limited insect activity caused by hanging explains the delay in decomposition of hanging bodies in which mummification can take place, especially on the upper body parts. In vertical body position, the body fluids accumulated in the lower body parts accelerating the desiccation of soft tissues on the upper parts. The effect of gravity can also explain the decrease of internal maggot mass as larvae easily fall from the hanging body to the drip zones below where they are unable to recolonize the body if totally suspended. Furthermore, in a hanging body a greater surface is exposed to wind and sun with a quicker skin drying preventing the additional Diptera colonization. This paper shows the weaknesses of scoring scales and regression models developed to predict ADD when irregular decomposition and mummification have not taken into account.

Forensic entomology and the estimation of the minimum time since death in indoor cases.

Eight cases that occurred indoors in which the insects played an important role in the mPMI estimation are presented. The bodies of socially isolated people and old people living alone were discovered in central Italy between June and November. mPMI ranged from a few days to several weeks. Insects were collected during the body recovery and the postmortem. Climatic data were obtained from the closest meteorological stations and from measurements performed on the site. Sarcophagidae and Calliphoridae species were present in 75% of the cases with Lucilia sericata and Chrysomya albiceps collected in 50% of the cases. Chrysomya albiceps was always found in association with Lucilia species. Scuttle flies (Phoridae) were found in 37.5% of the cases, confirming the ability of these species in indoor body colonization. We show that if sealed environment may delay, the insect arrival dirty houses may create the environment where sarcosaprophagous insects are already present.

Drug analysis in blowfly larvae and in human tissues: a comparative study.

The present study investigates the correlation between concentrations of drugs in human tissues and Diptera larvae feeding on these tissues. Samples of liver were taken from 18 cases in which preliminary toxicological screening indicated the presence of drugs. Blowfly larvae (Diptera: Calliphoridae) were reared on these samples and subsequently analyzed for drug content. Toxicological analyses were carried out using ONLINE Abuscreen (Roche) and GC/MS for available body fluids (blood, urine and bile) as well as liver samples and maggots. All drugs detected in human tissues were also detected in insect specimens. Opiates, cocaine and barbiturates as well as some antidepressants (clomipramine, amitryptiline, nortryptiline, levomepromezine and tioridazine) were observed. Comparisons of drug concentrations between those in human tissues and blowfly larvae showed different patterns of distribution that may be attributed to differences in physiology. Results confirm the reliability of entomological specimens for qualitative analyses, although quantitative extrapolations are unreliable. All xenobiotics detected were in higher concentrations in human tissues than in maggots. Concentrations in post-feeding maggots were significantly lower than for feeding maggots, suggesting that the feeding state of maggots may affect toxicological analyses as they metabolize and eliminate drugs during development.