Centre to investigate Havana Syndrome: What’s the mysterious illness plaguing US officials since 2016?

The Centre, on Monday, has told the Karnataka High Court that it will look into the matter of ‘Havana Syndrome’ in India. The move came after a Bengaluru resident had approached the court, seeking a probe on the mysterious illness and the prevention of high-frequency microwave transmission in India. According to a Live Law report, a single-judge bench of Justice Krishna Dixit disposed of the petition after the Centre agreed to look into the matter. The administration has now been given three months to investigate and submit its response. What exactly is Havana Syndrome? Havana Syndrome is a collection of illnesses such as nausea, dizziness, nosebleeds, and short-term memory loss—and, in one case, blindness in one eye. These unexplained medical symptoms were first experienced by US State Department personnel in Cuba’s Havana in late 2016 and hence, the name Havana Syndrome. At the time, those diplomats were in Cuba as part of the reconciliation between the two countries – USA and Cuba – under President Barack Obama. However, the emergence of the ailments strained those developing ties. Since then, cases of Havana Syndrome popped up across the world – there have been at least 1,000 cases recorded – with most of officials complaining of dizziness, headache, fatigue, nausea, anxiety, cognitive difficulties and memory loss of varying severity. In extreme cases, diplomats and intelligence officers left service owing to complications from the condition. In August 2021, the emergence of a possible ‘Havana Syndrome’ case also delayed US vice president Kamala Harris’ arrival in Vietnam by almost three hours from Singapore. As of today, cases of Havana Syndrome have been reported from Cuba, China, Russia, Poland, Georgia, Serbia, India, Colombia, France, Switzerland and Taiwan. A number of US officials stationed in Washington also claim to have been affected, including one who was reportedly struck while near the White House. [caption id=“attachment_12971492” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] US secretary of state Antony Blinken delivers remarks on the Havana Syndrome, which US officials refer to as “anomalous health incidents”. Blinken said the service of American diplomats “often comes with risk,” and that the government was committed to caring for affected individuals, identifying the cause and the responsible party, and preventing recurrences. File image/Reuters[/caption] What causes Havana Syndrome? Now, here’s the tricky part and the short answer to this question is that no one knows for sure. In the Cuban instance, it was first believed to be a sonic attack. The Wall Street Journal had reported: “19 American officials at the US Embassy in Havana have been affected by sonic harassment attacks with the union representing the diplomats saying symptoms include mild traumatic brain injury, hearing loss and other symptoms.” However, later studies suggested that victims may have been subjected to high-powered microwaves that either damaged or interfered with the nervous system. In fact, University of Illinois professor James Lin told the BBC then that he believed that the syndrome originated from microwaves, as he had experienced hearing similar sounds while conducting his research in the 1970s, during the Cold War. However, the fear that a foreign adversary was attacking their personnel led US’ Director of National Intelligence (DNI) to investigate further and in March 2023, they released a report that said that they found no credible evidence that any foreign adversary was using anything that was causing the injuries reported. It stated that a combination of factors such as pre-existing medical conditions as well as environmental factors were behind the mysterious illnesses.

Prior to the DNI report, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) had in its 2022 investigation also concluded that it was unlikely that any foreign power was at play, and that medical conditions, stress or other factors were the cause of most cases. However, the CIA report was met with dismay from some corners. A support group for Havana Syndrome sufferers had issued a statement, saying the findings were “repudiation” and that they cannot and must not be the final word on the matter. A National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine assessment, however, pointed that pulsed radio frequency energy could be the possible culprit, saying that the signs and symptoms experienced by US government personnel were “unlike any disorder in the neurological or general medical literature.” CIA Director William Burns said in a March 2023 statement: “I want to be absolutely clear: these findings do not call into question the experiences and real health issues that US Government personnel and their family members — including CIA’s own officers — have reported while serving our country.” It’s important to note here that in October 2021, President Biden signed the Helping American Victims Afflicted by Neurological Attacks (HAVANA) Act, which authorises additional medical and financial support for intelligence officers and diplomats affected by the syndrome. What we know about the India case? As of today, there’s only been one instance of Havana Syndrome and that was recorded in 2021. CNN and the New York Times had reported that a CIA officer who was travelling with agency director William Burns to India in July had reported symptoms consistent with Havana Syndrome. The affected member in Burns’ team had to receive medical attention. CNN had then reported, “The situation in India could have dramatic implications: the CIA director’s schedule is tightly held and there are deep concerns among US officials about how the perpetrator would have known about the visit and been able to plan for such an aggression.” The New York Times also reported that the CIA was investigating the incident, with officials struggling to “determine the cause”. A Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) official had then said, according to an Indian Express report, “If a foreign power is doing it, why will they target the US alone. Why aren’t other countries reporting the same? Barring the Canadian embassy in Havana, there have been no such reports from officials of any other country anywhere in the world. This is not to say that the US assertions may not be true. But it’s a curious case.” With inputs from agencies