Who is responsible for Havana Syndrome?

The origin of Havana Syndrome is as mysterious as COVID-19. Luckily, Havana Syndrome has not affected millions of people like COVID-19. Havana Syndrome is a set of unexplained medical symptoms experienced by U.S. and Canadian government officials and military and intelligence personnel. This was first reported by the U.S. and Canadian embassy staff in Havana, Cuba, in 2016. Since then, it has been reported from many other countries, affecting diplomats and non-diplomats, including children. Individuals started falling ill, many after hearing strange sounds and experiencing bizarre physical sensations, loss of balance with cognitive changes, along with symptoms of mild traumatic brain injury. A group of Canadian diplomats is accusing Canada's government of withholding information about what the diplomats say are three new cases of brain injury resulting from Havana Syndrome that have been identified in the past two years. They say that since March 2020, a total of 25 Canadian diplomats have been evaluated for potential brain injury by experts at Dalhousie University. Media reports so far say roughly 200 U.S. diplomats, intelligence officers, military officers and other government personnel (mostly based abroad) have experienced a strange and often debilitating set of symptoms. Read: What do we really know about COVID-19 boosters? Canada, like the U.S., has said it hasn’t determined a cause or culprit for what the U.S. initially deemed targeted attacks. A study commissioned by Canada’s government pointed the finger at likely overexposure to pesticides in Cuba, while a report by the U.S. National Academies of Science said the mysterious neurological symptoms are consistent with directed microwave energy and raised the possibility of a microwave weapon. Cuba has denied any responsibility for the symptoms suffered by diplomats or having weapons that could produce such symptoms. Symptomatic presentation varies. The symptoms range in severity from pain and ringing in the ears to cognitive difficulties. Other symptoms include dizziness, headache, fatigue, nausea, anxiety, and memory loss of varying severity. In some cases, diplomats and intelligence officers have left active service due to complications from the condition. Read: Facing the end of life cannot be easy So, what are the leading theories as to what causes the syndrome? This could be due to mass hysteria caused by anxiety and fear of the unknown. A second theory is this could be due to brain damage caused by microwave energy, while a third theory is that brain damage is caused by ultrasound energy. Ultrasound energy can cause permanent loss of hearing, problems with orientation and balance, tinnitus and injury to the ear. This does not sound so different from the symptoms of the Havana Syndrome. Several U.S. and Canadian intelligence and scientific experts are investigating this mysterious illness and trying to determine the mechanism used in the attack. Diagnosis has been difficult because there have been so many different symptoms and some of them are subjective and difficult to measure. The diversity of symptoms also suggests a psychological rather than physical cause. Recently, President Biden signed the Helping American Victims Afflicted by Neurological Attacks (HAVANA) Act, which authorizes additional medical and financial support for intelligence officers and diplomats affected by the syndrome. CIA Director William Burns was quoted in the media saying, “I’m certainly persuaded that what our officers and some family members, as well as other U.S. government employees, have experienced is real, and it’s serious.” Canadian diplomats, their spouses and children, who were based in Havana and were affected by this illness are suing the federal government for $28 million. The U.S. intelligence services have not reached a consensus on or a formal determination of the cause of Havana syndrome. In January 2022, the Central Intelligence Agency issued an interim assessment concluding that the syndrome is not the result of "a sustained global campaign by a hostile power." It has been more than five years since Havana Syndrome has been in the news. Do we know where the illness started from? What is the cause—viral, bacterial, or psychological? Are Cuban, Chinese or Russian governments involved? Is there a cure for the illness? So, what do you think? Dr. Bharwani is a general surgeon, freelance writer, photographer and author of A Doctor’s Journey and Doctor B’s Eight Steps to Wellness. His books are available at www.nbharwani.com. Read: COVID-19 long haulers still experience symptoms 15 months after infection

Who is responsible for Havana Syndrome?

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