The Role of Forensic Medicine in Responding to Emergencies and New Major Epidemics.
10.12116/j.issn.1004-5619.2021.410716
- Author:
Bo-Feng ZHU
1
;
Bin CONG
2
Author Information
1. Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Forensic Multi-Omics for Precision Identification, School of Forensic Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China.
2. College of Forensic Medicine, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China.
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
biosecurity;
coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19);
epidemic prevention and control;
forensic medicine;
litigation;
review
- MeSH:
Animals;
Humans;
Emergencies;
Forensic Medicine;
Autopsy;
Physical Examination;
DNA
- From:
Journal of Forensic Medicine
2022;38(4):515-519
- CountryChina
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
In recent years, human beings are constantly facing the threat of emerging infectious diseases. Forensic technology plays a unique role in responding to the emergencies and new epidemics. In epidemic prevention and control, forensic partitioners can provide important clues for the identification of vector animal species and the traceability of pathogen regions based on non-human DNA testing technology. In epidemic-related judicial practice, forensic partitioners bear more and more evidence responsibilities in dealing with biosafety laws-related issues, such as improper handling of epidemics and vaccine safety issues, which require forensic evidence. In terms of pathogen tracing, forensic physical evidence examinations identify species and individuals through biological materials extracted from the scene of death and autopsy of infectious diseases, are expected to provide informative clues for epidemiological investigations and point out the direction for pathogen tracing. In addition, forensic pathological examination can provide an important pathophysiological basis for determining the cause of death and the mechanism of death through autopsy, also offer necessary scientific evidence for clarifying the epidemiological characteristics of the epidemic and predicting the development trend of the epidemic.
