What is Havana syndrome?

What is Havana syndrome?

What is Havana Syndrome?

This syndrome is a series of unexplained medical symptoms that were first experienced by U.S. State Department personnel who were based in Cuba in 2016. The State department also reported such cases in 2018 in China.

What are the symptoms?

Symptoms associated with the syndrome include headache, dizziness, fatigue, anxiety, nausea, cognitive difficulties and memory loss of varying severity.

What causes the syndrome?

Initially, it was believed that the syndrome is the result of an attack by a sonic or acoustic weapon. But later a comprehensive analysis by a U.S. scientific panel pointed out that exposure to a type of directed energy is the main culprit. A different medical assessment conducted in 2018 noted that exposure to microwaves is the main cause.

U.S. government reaction

Former President Donald Trump had directly blamed Cuba for the initial wave of the syndrome. However, Havana denied this accusation. Now, the State Department and the Central Intelligence Agency have established an internal task force to investigate the matter. The Helping American Victims Affected by Neurological Attacks (HAVANA) Act was also passed unanimously in Congress. It will authorize additional medical and financial support to the intelligence officers and diplomats affected by the bill. Bill has also been introduced in the House.