For decades, the nightmarish legacy of Japan's Unit 731 during World War II has been shrouded in secrecy, but a new scientific study is bringing much-needed attention to this dark chapter in history.
Researchers at the Academy of Military Medical Sciences in Beijing have uncovered significant new evidence about the crimes committed at the infamous biological warfare facility in northeastern China. Their study not only gives scientific proof but also supports historical accounts of inhumane experiments conducted during the war in that place.
The Dark History of Unit 731
Unit 731, based in Harbin, China, was the center of the worst of Japan's World War II biological warfare experiments. Led by the Imperial Army's medical corps, the unit carried out some gruesome medical experiments on prisoners, which included both Chinese civilians and Russian POWs, to expose them to deadly pathogens, carry out vivisections, and test biological weapons like anthrax.
Though much of the truth about Unit 731 has been widely covered, many of the awful facts remained buried for quite some time.
The government of Japan did not openly acknowledge the existence of the unit until the year 1984, while the United States granted several of the major participants immunity in return for their research data. For some reason, the full extent of the horrors perpetrated at Unit 731 remained hidden for decades.
Scientific Evidence Supports Claims of Biological Warfare
According to Interesting Engineering, the most recent study targeted soil samples taken from the location of Unit 731, and the researchers identified Bacillus anthracis as being present. This is the bacterium that causes anthrax and has been known to cause severe illness in both animals and humans.
Anthrax can include fever, black spots, swollen necks, and a very severe respiratory disease. When left untreated, an infection caused by anthrax may rapidly progress and cause death.
Although previous researchers had identified traces of Bacillus anthracis at the Unit 731 site, this recent study offers much stronger evidence by isolating and sequencing genetic material from these samples.
The study not only established that the site was infected with anthrax but also indicated that the bacteria were not naturally found but instead had been artificially introduced for testing purposes. Such evidence proves stronger that Unit 731 had indeed been conducting biological weapons research during the war.
"B. anthracis is considered one of the most serious and threatening agents for conducting biowarfare or bioterrorism," the researchers wrote.
A Closer Look at the Evidence
Apart from these three contaminated soil samples of anthrax, the researchers collected 24 additional samples from 12 locations surrounding the Unit 731 facility. The additional samples were anthrax-free, and therefore, it was evident that contamination by the local environment was improbable and the contamination was rather from the laboratory's activities.
In line with the evidence from the distribution pattern of these contaminations and the historical evidence documenting the site's operations, the theory that anthrax was used in biological warfare experiments on prisoners is sustained.
The research was published in Emerging Infectious Diseases journal.
The researchers also pointed out that microbial forensics played a significant role in the identification and tracing of biological weapons. From these pathogens, scientists could not only unveil the secrets of historical events but also come to a better understanding of the risks still ongoing because of biological threats.
Even though the entire scale of Unit 731 activities may never be completely unveiled, the discovery of Bacillus anthracis in the soil of the former site of this unit is a great reminder of the atrocities that occurred on this scale.
The hope with every piece of scientific evidence that continues to come to light is that the memories of victims will be kept alive, and lessons from those dark times will continue to inform global efforts toward the prevention of biological threats.
