6^thInternational Conference on Forensic Research & Technology September 18- 19, 2017 Houston, Texas, USA

Explored in this paper is another facet of my nine-year research project,participant-observation in the small, but growing, niche ecotourism market —endangered non-human primates. My specifi c concerns are the possible tourismrelated pathways of zoonotic disease transmission. Considered here, however, is a less exotic aspect of the animal-humanenvironmental interface, tourist contact with domesticated animals, i.e., livestock. Entering the United States, a Customs Declaration form is “signed.” Item 12 asks “Yes” or “No”: “I have (We have) been in close proximity of livestock: (such as touching or handling).” Th is paper delves the signifi cance and possible consequences of Item 12 of the Customs Declaration form. Aspects of livestock as a “reservoir” of zoonotic transmission became apparent during recent travel in Peru. My research interest for this trip focused on animal-related tourist souvenirs. However, my attention was drawn to the activities of onetraveler. A young person of high school age accompanied by relatives, petted every cat, dog, guinea pig, llama, or alpaca whichcrossed their path. Modes of disease transmission can be by direct contact, oral, reproductive, aerosol, fomate (contaminated inanimate objects), environmental (common source), or vector-borne: petting combines some of these. Over 200 zoonotic diseases are known–bacterial, viral, fungal, parasitic, or by unconventional agents. Disease transmission between animals andhumans can be in either direction, animal-to-human, zoonoses, and human-to-animal, a reverse zoonoses, anthroponoses. As concurrent reservoirs, these diseases can be considered as anthropozoonoses.According to the World Health Organization,“About 75% of the new diseases that have aff ected humans over the past ten years have been caused by pathogens originatingfrom an animal or from products of animal origin. Many of these diseases have the potential to spread through various means over long distances and to become global problems.” In this complicated matrix, considered is the power of one.

Paola A Prada received her PhD in Chemistry with a Forensic Science concentration from Florida International University in 2010. She was awarded the 2010 Intelligence Community (IC) Post-doctoral Research Fellowship, funded by the Offi ce of the Director of National Intelligence. Her studies have united interdisciplinary areas such as chemistry, animal behavior and national security to address issues critical to effective intelligence and defense capabilities. She has worked with both national and international police/government agencies to help develop better instrumental and training techniques in various areas of odor detection. She is the Author or Co-author of numerous journal publications, book chapters, and one book dedicated entirely on human scent evidence. She is a Member of the American Chemical Society and theAmerican Academy of Forensic Sciences.

Statement of the Problem: Th e use of human scent as a source of trace evidence for investigative purposes is experiencing a renaissance of valuable forensic research pivotal to law enforcement applications, specifi cally in the realm of canine detection tools. Various challenges have surfaced in courts of law across the world that questions the validity and reliability of this technique that employs biological detectors to alert to human scent traces. Th ere is a limited body of scientifi c literature which pertains to the specifi c human odor signatures a canine alerts to when it makes a positive scent match with a subject. Th e available scientifi c studies investigating the origin and defi nition of human odor have focused mainly on the composition of human sweat in relation to hygiene and biological pathways rather than a more general description of human body odor.Thus, the identifi cation and characterization of key human odor volatiles play an essential role in understanding human scent

evidence as an individualizing physical trait. Methodology & Th eoretical Orientation: An overview of the state of forensic odorology both nationally and abroad is presented giving specifi c cases and experiments that focus on the use of human odor as evidence in forensic applications.

Findings: Th e usefulness of this trace evidence is highlighted by depicting operational applications of the use of human scent and canine teams. Th e research highlights the need for more practical laboratory investigations to understand and validate active canine operations.

Conclusion & Signifi cance: Forensic odorology has witnessed a lengthy developmental process leading to its current status as evidentiary tool. With the help of scientifi c validation eff orts, this technique may prove to be a powerful tool within forensicinvestigative processes worldwide.

Donnell R Christian is the Director of Forensic Programs and International Training for Professional Business Solutions, Inc. His experience of more than 30 years as a Forensic Science Practitioner spans the life cycle of forensic laboratory accreditation programs. His career began as a Criminalist with the Arizona Department of Public Safety Crime Laboratory, the third forensic laboratory system to achieve accreditation during the infancy of ASCLD/LAB program. Currently, he works with laboratories in developing democracies; establish quality assurance programs that comply with the standards established by the International Standards Organization (ISO) where he has helped establish ISO Compliant Programs in the former Soviet Republics of Armenia, Georgia and Moldova. His academic credential include Bachelorette degrees in Chemistry and Police Administration, a Master’s in Criminal Justice and Doctoral studies in Police Science with emphasis on International Development.

This presentation will propose an alternative system of the examination and evaluation of physical evidence utilized by the criminal justice system in the United States. Th e premise will be to explore how the utilization of the independent testing process employed by the medical profession can be incorporated into the criminal justice system. It is surmised that the checks and balances that have been incorporated into the testing process used to diagnose and treat disease can be implemented into the laboratory testing of physical evidence used in the investigation and prosecution crime. Th e conclusion will present a suggested model system for improving the objectivity of forensic evidence by utilizing quality assurance principles that currently exist in the medical profession.