Explained | What is the ‘Havana Syndrome’ that has afflicted many American diplomats around the world?
The HinduThe story so far: A recent U.S. intelligence report says that ‘ Havana Syndrome ’ — a collection of symptoms and related brain injuries, reported by U.S. officials, particularly diplomats in embassies — could be caused by pulsed electromagnetic energy or close-range ultrasound. ‘Havana Syndrome’ is a colloquial name given to a set of symptoms such as dizziness, hearing loss, headaches, vertigo, nausea, memory loss and possible brain injuries first reported by 16 U.S. Embassy staff and their family members in Havana, Cuba, in 2016-17. A panel, constituted by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the CIA, said on Wednesday that some of the ‘Havana Syndrome’ cases could have been caused by pulsed electromagnetic energy in the radio frequency. The core characteristics could plausibly be explained by pulsed electromagnetic energy, possibly sent using nonstandard antennas and techniques, from as far as “tens of hundreds of metres”, including through building materials,“ the report says.