Havana Syndrome Again: CIA Officer On India Trip Reported Symptoms, Say Reports

<p><strong>New Delhi:</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;"> A CIA officer travelling to India with agency director William Burns this month had to receive medical attention after he reported symptoms of Havana syndrome, CNN and The New York Times reported on Monday, citing unnamed sources.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The reports did not identify the victim.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Havana syndrome is a mysterious set of ailments, including migraines, dizziness, nausea, and memory lapses. First reported in 2016 by US officials in the Cuba embassy, Havana syndrome has affected nearly 200 US officials and their family members so far.&nbsp;</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The CIA officer&rsquo;s case is the second one this year.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In August, US Vice-President Kamala Harris' flight to Vietnam was delayed by several hours after the US officials in Hanoi said someone had reported an &ldquo;anomalous health incident&rdquo; consistent with Havana syndrome.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The CIA did not confirm or deny reports about the officer who travelled to India.&nbsp;</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In a statement to news agency Reuters, a spokesperson of the agency said: "We have protocols in place for when individuals report possible anomalous health incidents that include receiving appropriate medical treatment."&nbsp;</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In July, Burns had said a senior officer who once led the search for Osama bin Laden would head a task force that will investigate the health issue.&nbsp;</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The NYT report said the circumstances of the incident were still being investigated, and that it could not be said why the CIA officer might have been targetted.&nbsp;</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Quoting current and former officials, it also said Burns was angered by the incident that set off alarm bells within the US government.&nbsp;</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>ALSO READ | <a title="What Is Havana Syndrome? The Mysterious Condition Affecting Brains Of US Officials" href="https://ift.tt/3jfEmYA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">What Is Havana Syndrome? The Mysterious Condition Affecting Brains Of US Officials</a></strong>&nbsp; &nbsp;</span></p> <h3><strong>What Causes Havana Syndrome?</strong></h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It is yet to be established as to what causes the symptoms of Havana syndrome. While a section of US officials believe these are attacks by rival powers, intelligence agencies have not come to any decisive conclusion yet.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Burns has earlier said there is a "very strong possibility" that Russia could be responsible.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">There are theories that claim the symptoms are caused by surveillance technology, but this remains to be proved.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"Directed, pulsed radiofrequency energy" appears to be the most plausible theory, according to a US National Academy of Sciences panel, the Reuters report said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">US government agencies have been stepping up warnings about anomalous health incidents, especially for officials traveling abroad.&nbsp;</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Pentagon warned its entire workforce last week and said these incidents often involve strange sounds, heat sensation, or pressure, followed by symptoms such as headache, nausea, and vertigo.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Officials have been told to immediately leave the area they are in if they experience such sensations or symptoms.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">When such incidents were first reported in Havana in 2016, the diplomats and CIA officers there had reportedly heard strange sounds and then felt headaches and nausea.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A series of incidents that followed in China left many US officials badly affected. Such cases have since been reported from other countries in Asia and also in Europe.</span></p>