Nazis might have tried to ‘weaponise’ mosquitoes during WWII: Research
17 Feb 2014 6:45 AM IST
Vector-borne diseases like malaria and dengue continue to be global killers. And Nazis were in awe of this deadly effect mosquitoes have had on humans.
Historical evidence of biological weapons research during Nazi Germany has confirmed that Nazis wanted to use mosquitoes - which host malaria in biological warfare.
It is now confirmed that in 1944, Germany’s SS Entomological Institute was tasked with testing various species of mosquito for their ability to survive without food or water - and thus, their suitability to be infected with malaria and air-dropped into enemy territory.
It has been debated for many years whether Nazi Germany sought to produce biological weapons despite Hitler’s ban on them. Tubingen University’s Dr Klaus Reinhardt latest finding is likely to re-ignite that discussion. Himmler, head of the Nazi research commissioned the Entomological Institute in Dachau in January 1942, presumably after reports of lice infestation among troops, and following an outbreak of typhoid fever at Neuengamme concentration camp.
The instructions Himmler issued in 1942 were for basic research required to combat germ-carrying insects - involving the life cycles, diseases, predators and preferred hosts of beetles, lice, fleas and flies.
While studying documents from the Waffen-SS Entomological Institute, an annex of Dachau concentration camp, Dr Reinhardt asked the question ‘Why did the armed wing of the Nazi party need to study insects?’
Historical evidence of biological weapons research during Nazi Germany has confirmed that Nazis wanted to use mosquitoes - which host malaria in biological warfare.
It is now confirmed that in 1944, Germany’s SS Entomological Institute was tasked with testing various species of mosquito for their ability to survive without food or water - and thus, their suitability to be infected with malaria and air-dropped into enemy territory.
It has been debated for many years whether Nazi Germany sought to produce biological weapons despite Hitler’s ban on them. Tubingen University’s Dr Klaus Reinhardt latest finding is likely to re-ignite that discussion. Himmler, head of the Nazi research commissioned the Entomological Institute in Dachau in January 1942, presumably after reports of lice infestation among troops, and following an outbreak of typhoid fever at Neuengamme concentration camp.
The instructions Himmler issued in 1942 were for basic research required to combat germ-carrying insects - involving the life cycles, diseases, predators and preferred hosts of beetles, lice, fleas and flies.
While studying documents from the Waffen-SS Entomological Institute, an annex of Dachau concentration camp, Dr Reinhardt asked the question ‘Why did the armed wing of the Nazi party need to study insects?’
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