Report on cases of “Havana Syndrome” among US diplomats in Geneva
Now in Geneva too: Several US diplomats are reportedly affected by puzzling neurological complaints.
the essentials in brief
- The so-called “Havana Syndrome” first appeared in Cuba in 2012.
- Now US diplomats in Geneva are also said to be affected.
- One person was brought to the United States for treatment.
The discussion about the so-called “Havana Syndrome” reaches Switzerland. According to a report in the Wall Street Journal, several US diplomats in Geneva were affected by puzzling neurological complaints. One person was therefore taken to the United States for treatment.
According to the media report on Thursday, at least three employees of the US consulate in the Rhone city complained of health problems in the summer. A US diplomat stationed in Paris was also affected.
A spokeswoman for the US State Department did not want to comment on the Keystone-SDA news agency on the specific case. They made security reasons for it. But you take all the relevant information “extremely seriously” and work to ensure that those affected receive the necessary support.
Headache, dizziness and hearing loss
The “Havana Syndrome” first appeared in 2016 among US and Canadian diplomats in Cuba. According to its own information, the US State Department has received reports from more than 200 people since then. Incidents were recorded in China, Germany, Australia, Russia, Austria and the United States itself.
Symptoms include headaches, balance disorders and dizziness – but also permanent hearing loss. According to US data, it was found in patients with mild traumatic brain damage.
Initially, the US authorities suspected that the cause of the syndrome was attacks with sounds that were inaudible to the human ear, but harmful to health – but this has not been confirmed.
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken reaffirmed on Thursday to the TV broadcaster MSNBC that they are still working to clarify the cause of the diseases. You currently neither know what exactly happened nor who is responsible for it, so blinking.
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