The Transmissibility of the Human Skin Virome: Potential Forensic Implications

The objective of this study was to evaluate the temporal stability and object-to-skin transferability of the skin virome in a Korean population. Skin virus metagenomes were collected from the anatomical locations (forehead, left hand, and right hand) of eight healthy adults and monitored over 3 months at intervals of 6 weeks. To assess the potential transfer of virome between skin and objects, subjects were instructed to contact four types of objects (cell phones, door handles, fabric, and plastic). Virome samples were then collected from the surfaces of these objects. Viruses were identified using databases and viral annotation bioinformatics tools. Fifteen viral families were consistently found to be stable and well-transmissible across anatomical locations and four types of objects. Furthermore, the presence/absence profiles of 54 viral species belonging to these 15 viral families exhibited significant individual specificity on both the skin (p < 0.01) and the objects handled by each subject (p < 0.05). We confirmed that these 54 viral markers remain stable over time within individuals and are transferable to contacted surfaces. Additionally, we explored the potential of using the virome as an individual identification marker, which may suggest new approaches for forensic applications.