User:Lgnorth/Forensic entomology and the law

Other legal uses of forensic entomology
Forensic entomology has applications beyond determining PMI in homicide cases.

Food contamination
Stored product entomology deals with insects that infest dry food commodities. Food can be contaminated by insect parts, filth, or eggs, or it can be aesthetically damaged by insect activity. With the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act of 1938, the FDA established guidelines for acceptable levels of contamination and defects in food, including that which is caused by insects. When these limits are broken, a consumer may seek to take legal action against a company for perceived damages. In such cases, a forensic entomologist would have to identify the species of the insect responsible for the contamination, the extent of its damage, and the time that the contamination occurred. The timeframe of contamination is especially important for determining the culpability of the defendant, as certain stages of growth in the present insects may indicate that the contamination occurred before or after the manufacturing process.

An example of this type of case can be found in Velazquez v. Abbott Labs (2012). In this case, the plaintiffs alleged that their infant suffered from acute gastroenteritis as a result of ingesting contaminated baby formula that was manufactured by Abbott. The formula used was part of a voluntary product recall the previous year due to contamination by warehouse beetles. An expert witness testified that, while potentially unsettling, there is no health risk posed by the ingestion of Trogoderma variable, the species responsible for the contamination. Additionally, it was alleged that there is no physiological cause for some of the symptoms suffered by the infant that could have been caused by the beetles. The case was dismissed.

Insect contamination isn't limited to legally manufactured goods. For example, there was a case in New Zealand that involved the seizure of illegally imported cannabis. In order for arrests to be made, the origin of the cannabis had to be uncovered. Investigators found that there were insects infesting the cannabis, and by determining the exact species present they could deduce that the origin of the import was southeast Asia. This information allowed them to persecute suspects in the case that they otherwise had no evidence against.

Urban entomology and the law
Urban entomology studies the arthropods that cohabit human living areas or are otherwise associated with the human environment. These can include structural pests, such as termites, and household pests, such as cockroaches. There are multiple ways that the presence of these types of insects may lead to legal action. For instance, a tenant may wish to pursue legal action against their landlord if they believe that an infestation is due to the landowner's negligence in prevention or control. If a pest control company was hired to eradicate an infestation that did not go away, the company may be sued for inadequate control measures or the incorrect application of treatments and pesticides. An entomologist may be called into a case to examine if a particular species was capable of

One of the most widely covered types of pest-related litigation is bed bug lawsuits. Although having once been nearly eradicated in the first half of the 20th century, bed bug populations have skyrocketed since the late-1990s, and so has civil litigation regarding them. Infestations are most common in locations where a multitude of people come and go, such as hotels, cruises, and dorm rooms. The duties of the landowners in these cases aren't always clear; for example, in Florida legislature, landowners are required to make "reasonable provisions" for their tenants when faced with bedbugs, which does not outline any specific duties to uphold. Although bedbugs do not directly vector disease, their bites may lead to skin irritation, allergic reactions, and infections. In some legal cases, plaintiffs may allege reactions that are not attributable to bedbugs, in which case it is in the defendant's best interest to bring in an entomologist expert witness.

Entomology in cases of neglect and abuse
The application of forensic entomology and its relation to the human body is not limited to homicides. Many necrophagous insects do not wait until death to begin feeding. Though these insects feed on dead tissue, it is possible for necrotic tissue to exist on a living animal or person. In fact, these "localized" food sources are beneficial for the insects, as there is usually less interspecific competition in wounds than there is on corpses.

In cases of extreme neglect, a living victim may suffer from myiasis. This is commonly seen in cases of elder abuse, in which victims are often found with maggots infesting open bed sores that resulted from lack of care. This is a problem that many nursing homes and elder care facilities have faced scrutiny for, such as a nursing home in Maine that was sanctioned by the Maine Department of Health and Human Services after maggots were found in the wound of one of its residents.

Additionally, even in cases where the victim is deceased, signs of myiasis can indicate possible events leading up to their death. For example, if the age of maggots found in lesions on a body is older than the last verified sighting of that individual, it can be reasonably assumed that the lesions and maggots must have been present before death.