A Mini Narrative Review on Human DNA Transfer Involving Dogs and Cats and Their Role in Forensic Investigation
Abstract
1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods
3. Results
4. Discussion
4.1. Experimental Design
4.2. Technical Issues
4.3. Background Human DNA and Profiles
4.4. Primary Transfer to Animals
4.5. Secondary Transfer from Animals to Other Surfaces
5. Conclusions and Future Perspectives
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Conflicts of Interest
References
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| Ref. | Experimental Design | Technical Procedures | Main Findings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monkman H. et al. 2022 [5] Short communication | A total of 20 cats from 15 households
| Double swabbing technique. Extraction: DNA IQ System (Promega, Madison, WI, USA). Quantification: Quantifiler® Trio system (Life Technologies, Carlsbad, CA, USA). DNA Amplification: PowerPlex® 21 system (Promega, Madison, WI, USA). |
|
| Monkman H. et al. 2023 [8] Original article | A total of 20 dogs, 9 samples per dog:
Reference samples: dog’s owners and residents of the household. | Wet–dry swabbing technique using viscose swabs. Extraction: DNA IQ System (Promega, Madison, WI, USA). Quantification: Quantifiler® Trio. DNA system (Life Technologies, Carlsbad, CA, USA). DNA Amplification: PowerPlex® 21 System (Promega, Madison, WI, USA). |
|
| Monkman H. et al. 2025 [9] Original article | A total of 20 cats, 6 samples per cat:
| Wet–dry double swabbing technique using viscose swabs. Extraction: DNA IQ System (Promega, Madison, WI, USA). Quantification: Quantifiler® Trio DNA (Applied Biosystems, Waltham, MA, USA). DNA Amplification: PowerPlex® 21 System (Promega, Madison, WI, USA). |
|
| Monkman H. et al. 2025 [10] Original article | A total of 5 dogs, visitors drove to the dog’s household, interacted for 5 min with the dog, patting and playing, returned to the car and drove home, where they were instructed to make tea.
| Wet–dry double swabbing technique using viscose swabs. Extraction: DNA IQ System (Promega, Madison, WI, USA). Quantification: Quantifiler® Trio DNA (Applied Biosystems, Waltham, MA, USA). DNA Amplification: PowerPlex® 21 System (Promega, Madison, WI, USA). |
|
| Oefelein R. et al. 2025 [6] Short communication | A total of 10 domestic pets (5 canines and 5 felines)
| Single swabbing—cotton swab for pets. Double swabbing—wet and dry cotton swab for card samples. Extraction: Maxwell™ FSC DNA IQ™ Casework Kit with Promega Casework Extraction Kit (Promega, Madison, WI, USA). Quantification: PowerQuant® System (Promega, Madison, WI USA). DNA Amplification: Powerplex Fusion 6C system (Promega, Madison, WI USA). |
|
| Monkman H. et al. 2026 [7] Original article | A total of 5 dogs, 5 cars, 1 holder, different shirt worn per experiment. Simulated dog-theft involving brief lifting and transporting by a handler, placing in an unfamiliar car (20 min), and return home by lifting and holding
Bayesian network built. | Wet–dry double swabbing technique using viscose swabs and sterile water. Extraction: DNA IQ System (Promega, Madison, WI, USA). Quantification: Quantifiler® Trio DNA (Applied Biosystems, USA) Quantifiler Kit on a 3500xL Genetic Analyser, GeneMapper™ ID-X Software v1.6Amplification: PowerPlex® 21 System (Promega, Madison, WI, USA). |
|
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© 2026 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license.
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Bini, C.; Trasatti, A.; Giorgetti, A.; Amurri, S.; Fazio, G.; Pelotti, S. A Mini Narrative Review on Human DNA Transfer Involving Dogs and Cats and Their Role in Forensic Investigation. Genes 2026, 17, 423. https://doi.org/10.3390/genes17040423
Bini C, Trasatti A, Giorgetti A, Amurri S, Fazio G, Pelotti S. A Mini Narrative Review on Human DNA Transfer Involving Dogs and Cats and Their Role in Forensic Investigation. Genes. 2026; 17(4):423. https://doi.org/10.3390/genes17040423
Chicago/Turabian StyleBini, Carla, Alessia Trasatti, Arianna Giorgetti, Sara Amurri, Giulia Fazio, and Susi Pelotti. 2026. "A Mini Narrative Review on Human DNA Transfer Involving Dogs and Cats and Their Role in Forensic Investigation" Genes 17, no. 4: 423. https://doi.org/10.3390/genes17040423
APA StyleBini, C., Trasatti, A., Giorgetti, A., Amurri, S., Fazio, G., & Pelotti, S. (2026). A Mini Narrative Review on Human DNA Transfer Involving Dogs and Cats and Their Role in Forensic Investigation. Genes, 17(4), 423. https://doi.org/10.3390/genes17040423

