Health alert for US travellers in China
The US State Department has posted a health warning for US citizens travelling to China, following a medical incident involving a US government employee in the country. The medical incident, said the State Department, is ‘consistent with what other US government personnel experienced in Havana, Cuba’; this refers to a similar incident in January which led to the evacuation of two dozen government employees and their families. Those affected suffered ‘hearing loss, dizziness, headaches, fatigue, cognitive issues, visual problems and difficulty sleeping’.
The State Department has advised that any US citizens in China experiencing ‘unusual, unexplained physical symptoms or events, auditory or sensory phenomena’ should contact healthcare providers and if necessary seek medical evaluation. Dizziness, fatigue, tinnitus, ear complaints and trouble sleeping are all symptoms to watch out for.
While there have been reports that these symptoms are a result of ill-defined ‘sonic attacks’, it is not yet clear what this might entail and whether it is in fact the reason.