U.S. staffer in China suffers brain injury from odd sound

Embassy issues a health alert to Americans in China against ‘unusual sounds’

May 23, 2018 10:11 pm | Updated December 03, 2021 10:48 am IST - Beijing

In a similar incident last year, the United States had announced it was withdrawing more than half its personnel in response to mysterious health attacks targeting its diplomatic staff. (FILE)

In a similar incident last year, the United States had announced it was withdrawing more than half its personnel in response to mysterious health attacks targeting its diplomatic staff. (FILE)

The U.S. Embassy in China issued a health alert on Wednesday after a U.S. government employee experienced an “abnormal” sound and suffered a mild brain injury — in an incident reminiscent of a mysterious illness that hit diplomats in Cuba.

U.S. and Chinese authorities are investigating the matter after the employee, who was assigned to the southern city of Guangzhou, was diagnosed with mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI), said Embassy spokeswoman Jinnie Lee.

In an alert emailed to U.S. citizens in China, the Embassy said it does not know what caused the symptoms or of any similar situations in the country.

‘Attacks’ in Cuba

In Cuba last year, the U.S. disclosed that 24 diplomats and their family members had fallen victim to an unsolved mysterious attack that left them with injuries resembling brain trauma. Ten Canadian diplomats and their relatives also suffered a strange illness.

“We cannot at this time connect it with what happened in Havana but we are investigating all possibilities,” a U.S. Embassy official in Beijing told AFP on the condition of anonymity.

The Embassy’s health alert says the government employee “recently reported subtle and vague, but abnormal, sensations of sound and pressure”.

“The U.S. government is taking these reports seriously and has informed its official staff in China of this event,” the message says.

“While in China, if you experience any unusual acute auditory or sensory phenomena accompanied by unusual sounds or piercing noises, do not attempt to locate their source. Instead, move to a location where the sounds are not present,” it says, urging people with medical problems to consult a doctor.

Ms. Lee said the employee experienced “a variety of physical symptoms” between late 2017 through April 2018. The person was sent to the U.S. and diagnosed with MTBI on May 18.

“The (State) Department is taking this incident very seriously and is working to determine the cause and impact of the incident,” Lee said.

“The Chinese government has assured us they are also investigating and taking appropriate measures.” The Chinese Foreign Ministry could not be immediately reached for comment.

Top News Today

Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.