Mysterious Havana Syndrome Not a Foreign Attack: CIA

Sharing interim findings of an investigation into strange illnesses among US diplomats and intelligence officials, the CIA says it’s unlikely that they are the result of directed energy or other weapon levied by an adversary.

Written byJef Akst

| 2 min read

Save for Later

Sign on front of a US embassy reads Embassy of the United States of America

Listen with Speechify

0:00

2:00

ABOVE: © ISTOCK.COM, TEKA77

Over the last few years, more than 1,000 US government personnel have reported largely unexplained symptoms including dizziness, nausea, tinnitus, and headaches. According to a new interim report from the CIA, most cases of so-called Havana syndrome can be attributed to preexisting medical conditions or environmental or other factors, and not to an unidentified foreign attack on US government personnel. Multiple news outlets cite those findings based on comments from an anonymous CIA officer. But the idea that Russia, Cuba, or another country has a hand in the mysterious ailment is not off the table, as the CIA, as well as the Pentagon, and the FBI, other agencies continue to investigate these incidents.

“While we have reached some significant interim findings, we are not done,” CIA Director William Burns says in a statement, multiple outlets report. “We will continue the mission to investigate these incidents and ...

Interested in reading more?

Sign on front of a US embassy reads Embassy of the United States

The Scientist ARCHIVES

Become a Member of

Receive full access to more than 35 years of archives, as well as TS Digest, digital editions of The Scientist, feature stories, and much more!

Join for free today

Already a member? Login Here

Meet the Author

Jef Akst
Jef (an unusual nickname for Jennifer) got her master’s degree from Indiana University in April 2009 studying the mating behavior of seahorses. After four years of diving off the Gulf Coast of Tampa and performing behavioral experiments at the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga, she left research to pursue a career in science writing. As The Scientist's managing editor, Jef edited features and oversaw the production of the TS Digest and quarterly print magazine. In 2022, her feature on uterus transplantation earned first place in the trade category of the Awards for Excellence in Health Care Journalism. She is a member of the National Association of Science Writers.
View Full Profile