The FBI has charged two Chinese researchers with allegedly bringing a hazardous natural infection, Fusarium graminearum, into the country. Zunyong Liu, 34, and Yunqing Jian, 33, have been accused of fraudulently importing the flower fungus, an agroterrorism broker, into the US to conduct studies at Jian’s University of Michigan. A highly destructive plant disease known as Fusarium graminearum, known as Gibberella zeae, causes Fusarium head blight ( FHB) in grain crops like wheat, barley, corn, and grain, and is responsible for billions of dollars in annual economic losses around the world. The toxins in Fusarium graminearum reason human and animal reproductive problems, including diarrhea, liver damage, and sexual problems. It destroys crop yields, pollinating grains with dangerous mycotoxins, including deoxynivalenol ( also known as vomitoxin ), which can cause diarrhea, immune suppression, and reproductive problems in both people and animals.
Probable use of Fusarium graminearum as weapon
Fusarium graminearum has potential as a biological weapon, according to authorities, but it also poses a threat to crops. Its ability to destroy important crops and create corn supplies inaccessible makes it a perfect candidate for what security officials refer to as agroterrorism. Although it doesn’t directly assault people, its secondary effects can harm food stores and wreak havoc on the economy. The most pressing issues facing federal safety are the alleged actions of these Foreign nationals, including a devoted supporter of the Chinese Communist Party, according to US Attorney Gorgon. These two creatures are accused of bringing a fungus, which has been labeled as a “potential agroterrorism crossbow,” into the hinterland of America, where they allegedly intended to use a University of Michigan laboratory to advance their system.
