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Cruel experiments carried out by Nazi doctors on prisoners during World War II have been documented. However, Japanese doctors on the other side of the world also conducted horrific experiments on prisoners in occupied China. The scale of these tests has often been shrouded in mystery, but they are now slowly being revealed. So, in 2023, a bunker was found operated by the infamous Unit 731, where people were subjected to unimaginable torture. A new study, citing a report published on the website of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States, describes those dark times in the next chapter, Channel 24 reported.
Researchers at the Beijing Academy of Military Medical Sciences have confirmed the presence of the anthrax-causing bacterium Bacillus anthracis at facilities also used by the notorious Unit 731 in northeastern China. deliberately infected scientists with pathogens in order to develop biological weapons.
Anthrax is a life-threatening bacterial disease. Symptoms may include black sores, swelling in the neck, fever, nausea and difficulty breathing. If left untreated, the disease can progress rapidly and lead to serious complications or death.
B. anthracis is considered one of the most serious and threatening agents in the conduct of biological warfare or bioterrorism. Evidence suggests that Bacillus anthracis was used in biological warfare during World War II, but the evidence remains limited.
– researchers write in their report.
The team initially detected B. anthracis in three soil samples. Scientists then confirmed the presence of traces of the bacterium by isolating its genetic material for analysis of physical, biochemical and genetic properties. They eventually successfully sequenced the genome of the isolated species, identified key genes, and placed it in an evolutionary framework.
The researchers also collected two dozen more samples from 12 locations near the laboratory. No traces of B. anthracis were found in any of these additional samples. This led us to conclude that the bacteria in the previous positive samples probably did not come from the natural local environment.
By analyzing the distribution of positive samples, the characteristics of the isolated strain, and historical documentation, we created a chain of evidence supporting the following hypothesis: [бактерією] B. anthracis was abused in inhumane medical experiments during World War II and possibly in the development of biological weapons.
– says the report.
The lack of information about medical experiments at Unit 731 is due to several factors, including the fact that the Japanese executed all surviving victims in the laboratory at the end of the war. The reaction of the United States also played a decisive role: American officials, including General Douglas MacArthur (who led the post-war occupation of Japan), granted immunity to the doctors in exchange for medical information they learned during the experiments.
Japan only recognized the existence of Section 731 and its facilities in 1984.