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The bacteria, Bacillus F, was locked in permafrost for millions of years until Russian scientists discovered it. Tests had up only been performed on mice and human blood cells, until Anatoli Brouchkov, head of the Geocryology Department at Moscow State University, offered to test the bacteria on himself.

GETTY•IG Dr Brouchkov claims to be free from illness since injecting himself.

The scientist now claims to have been free of illness for two years following his injection. He said: “I started to work longer, I’ve never had a flu for the last two years. “After successful experiments on mice and fruit flies, I thought it would be interesting to try the inactivated bacterial culture.”

GETTY The bacteria is said to be 3.5million years old.

Dr Brouchkov claims the bacteria actually resides in trace amounts of the region’s water. He said: “The permafrost is thawing, and I guess these bacteria get into the environment, into the water, so the local population, the Yakut people, in fact, for a long time are getting these cells with water, and even seem to live longer than some other nations. So there was no danger for me.” The scientist has confessed he has no idea what the bacteria has done to him.

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