Over 15 million Chinese have signed an open letter calling on the World Health Organization (WHO) to investigate the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases at Fort Detrick (USAMRIID). Published on July 17, the petition appealed to the WHO to investigate the lab and urged the U.S. to answer the call from people around the world. 

The dark histories of the USAMRIID can be traced back to decades ago. In July 2019, research at the lab was temporarily halted due to safety concerns by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control who claimed that they detected at least six violations of federal regulations at Fort Detrick, including critical containment procedures, inaccurate select agents, and leakage caused by a dysfunctional wastewater decontamination system. Besides, the hundreds of biological labs in the country, the U.S. has built over 200 military biological laboratories in 25 foreign countries. Over 170 of these labs continue to operate in the shadows and unknown locations around the world.