Report on mystery illness that hit US diplomats in China and Cuba hints at man-made source, but can’t give conclusive answers
- ‘Havana Syndrome’, first recorded in 2016, has prompted accusations of a US government cover-up
- Study commissioned by State Department rules out ‘mass hysteria’ and says ‘directed, pulse radio frequency energies’ are likely cause
A report commissioned by the US State Department has concluded that “directed, pulse radio frequency energies” were the most likely cause of a mysterious illness that has plagued US diplomats in China and Cuba.
The condition, which was first reported by embassy staff in the Cuban capital in 2016, has prompted some US diplomats to accuse the US authorities of covering up the incident, while one of those affected in China has said he is convinced he was the victim of a targeted attack.
The report, released earlier this month by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, studied the cases of eight US and Canadian diplomatic staff suffering from the as-yet-unidentified “Havana Syndrome”.
Sufferers said symptoms started with the onset of a loud clicking noise which persisted even when they covered their ears. They then began to feel pain and pressure in the ears, dizziness and disorientation. Longer term symptoms included memory loss and anxiety.
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Mystery illness that struck US diplomats in China and Cuba ‘likely caused by surveillance’
The report found that the symptoms described by patients were “most consistent with a directed radio frequency energy attack”.