Thermogenesis in decomposing carcasses

Johnson, Aidan P.; Mikac, Katarina M.; Wallman, James F.

doi:10.1016/j.forsciint.2013.05.031

Cited by 38 publications

(27 citation statements)

References 21 publications

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“…ASFV is known to be heat sensitive (Plowright & Parker, 1967) and inactivated at 37°C after around 20 days (Mazur-Panasiuk, Zmudzki, & Wozniakowski, 2019). Therefore, taking into consideration the additional temperature increase of the carcass during decomposition (above 32°C at an outer temperature of 23°C) it does not seem unlikely that the virus has been inactivated effectively during the decomposition process (Johnson, Mikac, & Wallman, 2013).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

African swine fever virus survival in buried wild boar carcasses

Zani

Masiulis

Bušauskas³

et al. 2020

Transbound Emerg Dis

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Since the first introduction of African swine fever (ASF) into the European wild boar population in 1957, the question of virus survival in carcasses of animals that succumbed to the disease has been discussed. The causative African swine fever virus (ASFV) is known to be very stable in the environment. Thus, carcasses of infected wild boar could play a major role as ASFV reservoir and thereby help to locally maintain and spread the disease in wild boar populations. To minimize this risk, removal of wild boar carcasses in ASF affected areas is regarded to be crucial for effective disease control. If removal is not feasible, carcasses are usually disposed by burial on the spot to avoid direct contact of wild boar to the infection source. In this study, carcasses of ASFV infected wild boar buried in Lithuania at different time points and locations have been excavated and retested for the presence of infectious ASFV by in vitro assays and for viral genome by qPCR. Soil samples potentially contaminated by body fluids have been additionally tested for viral genome. In seventeen out of twenty burial sites, samples of excavated carcasses were positive for ASFV genome. However, in none of the carcass samples ASFV could be isolated. On seven sites soil samples contained ASF viral DNA. These results unexpectedly negate the long‐term persistence of infectious ASFV in wild boar carcasses independent from the burial time. In this context, sensitivity of ASFV isolation from carcass samples versus susceptibility of animals and doses needed for oral inoculation has to be further investigated. Furthermore, research is required to consider alternative ASF infection sources and drivers in the infection cycle among wild boar.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

African swine fever virus survival in buried wild boar carcasses

Zani

Masiulis

Bušauskas³

et al. 2020

Transbound Emerg Dis

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“…Thereby, the distinction between woods and open field was not made in this research and this could mean differences in sun exposure (shadow or full exposure) and thus (carcass) temperature. The carcass temperature can also be higher than expected because of the heat generated by insects while decomposing human remains and which the ADD does not account for [ 9 , 10 , 52 ]. Due to this heat, the internal carcass temperature can be higher than the ambient temperature [ 25 , 39 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Climatic differences between geographical regions, such as a humid or arid, or a hot or cold environment, influence the decomposition [ 8 ]. It is known from literature that temperature [ 5 , 9 ], humidity [ 10 – 12 ], insects [ 13 – 16 ], body weight [ 7 , 14 , 17 – 19 ] and clothing [ 20 , 21 ] also have an effect on the decomposition process. It is said that ambient temperature is the most important variable, because it is the primary factor for all biological activity and biochemical reactions [ 10 , 11 , 22 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The development of a post-mortem interval estimation for human remains found on land in the Netherlands

et al. 2017

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The decomposition process of human remains can be used to estimate the post-mortem interval (PMI), but decomposition varies due to many factors. Temperature is believed to be the most important and can be connected to decomposition by using the accumulated degree days (ADD). The aim of this research was to develop a decomposition scoring method and to develop a formula to estimate the PMI by using the developed decomposition scoring method and ADD.A decomposition scoring method and a Book of Reference (visual resource) were made. Ninety-one cases were used to develop a method to estimate the PMI. The photographs were scored using the decomposition scoring method. The temperature data was provided by the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute. The PMI was estimated using the total decomposition score (TDS) and using the TDS and ADD. The latter required an additional step, namely to calculate the ADD from the finding date back until the predicted day of death.The developed decomposition scoring method had a high interrater reliability. The TDS significantly estimates the PMI (R 2 = 0.67 and 0.80 for indoor and outdoor bodies, respectively). When using the ADD, the R 2 decreased to 0.66 and 0.56.The developed decomposition scoring method is a practical method to measure decomposition for human remains found on land. The PMI can be estimated using this method, but caution is advised in cases with a long PMI. The ADD does not account for all the heat present in a decomposing remain and is therefore a possible bias.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1007/s00414-017-1700-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

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“…The actual cause of the rise has been attributed to 'exothermic digestive processes' [29], although precisely what these are remains uncertain. It has also been suggested that large numbers of maggots could promote aerobic bacterial decomposition which is more thermogenic than anaerobic decomposition [30]. It is probable that the dermestid larvae have a similar effect when feeding on rats and mice.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The exploitation of fresh remains by Dermestes maculatus De Geer (Coleoptera, Dermestidae) and their ability to cause a localised and prolonged increase in temperature above ambient

Gunn

2018

Journal of Forensic and Legal Medicine

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This article discusses the ability of adults of the coleopteran beetle Dermestes maculatus (De Geer) to colonise fresh remains. It also considers whether colonisation results in localised thermogenesis in a similar manner to that induced by blowfly larvae. In the laboratory, adult D. maculatus instantly colonised fresh killed rats and mice. The adults entered the oral cavity within 1-2 h and the eyes and ears were among the first parts of the body consumed. Egg laying occurred on the torso and head within an hour of death and eggs hatched within 3-4 days. The larvae remained on the body whilst the adults (>70%) rested in the surrounding wood chippings when not feeding or laying eggs. Larvae grew rapidly on the dead bodies and some were starting to pupate within 28 days. The dermestids consumed the corpses predominantly from the head downwards and weight loss correlated with the number of larvae produced. In both rats and mice, colonisation of the abdominal region was associated with an increase in temperature. The maximum abdominal temperature and the length of time the temperature remained 1 °C or more above ambient correlated with the number of larvae produced. This rise in temperature would probably be sufficient to increase the rate of development of dermestid larvae and that of any other invertebrate or microbe in the region. In the absence of dermestids, the internal temperature rarely rose 1 °C above ambient. Although there are previously published accounts of dermestid beetles consuming fresh corpses, they are reputed to favour older desiccated remains. This paper confirms that D. maculatus rapidly consumes and reproduces on fresh remains. The fact that dermestid beetles are seldom found on fresh remains under field conditions is therefore probably a result of inter-specific competition among decomposing insects rather than food preference. This information could be useful when determining the forensic significance of D. maculatus recovered from dead bodies.

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Thermogenesis in decomposing carcasses

Cited by 38 publications

References 21 publications

African swine fever virus survival in buried wild boar carcasses

African swine fever virus survival in buried wild boar carcasses

The development of a post-mortem interval estimation for human remains found on land in the Netherlands

The exploitation of fresh remains by Dermestes maculatus De Geer (Coleoptera, Dermestidae) and their ability to cause a localised and prolonged increase in temperature above ambient

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