Neurotoxin may have caused diplomats' illness in Cuba: study

[Judi Lynn]

SEPTEMBER 19, 2019 / 1:52 PM / UPDATED 2 HOURS AGO

3 MIN READ

HAVANA (Reuters) - Fumigation against mosquitoes in Cuba and not “sonic attacks” may have caused some 40 U.S. and Canadian diplomats and family members in Havana to fall ill, according to a new study commissioned by the Canadian government.

The incidents took place from late 2016 into 2018, causing the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump to charge that diplomats were attacked by some sort of secret weapon. Canada has refrained from such charges.

The United States in 2017 reduced its embassy staff to a minimum and Canada followed more recently, citing the incidents and the danger posed to staff from what has become known as the “Havana Syndrome.”

Various scientific studies have yet to identify the cause of the diplomats’ cognitive ailments, ranging from dizziness and blurred vision to memory loss and difficulty concentrating.

More:
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-cuba-diplomats-canada/neurotoxin-may-have-caused-diplomats-illness-in-cuba-study-idUSKBN1W42QU?rpc=401&

[Judi Lynn]

1. Mysterious 'Havana Syndrome' suffered by diplomats caused by Zika fumigation, study suggests

Sara Mojtehedzadeh
By Sara Mojtehedzadeh Work and Wealth ReporterMo
Thu., Sept. 19, 2019 2 min. read

A mysterious illness causing fatigue, headaches and memory loss amongst dozens of Canadian and American diplomats in Cuba may be the result of intensive pest fumigation, not sonic “attacks,” a new Canadian health study suggests.

The study of Canadian diplomats in Havana and their families by researchers at Dalhousie University found their debilitating symptoms may be the result of exposure to neurotoxins; embassy records from the time show a “significant increase in fumigation in recent years” with weekly doses of pesticides in many diplomats’ residences.

Exposure to a toxin used to kill mosquitos following the Carribean’s Zika outbreak is a “plausible explanation” for brain injuries acquired by government staff, the report found.

U.S. and Canadian diplomats in Cuba began reporting mysterious neurological issues with concussion-like symptoms in the fall of 2016. Some victims of so-called“Havana Syndrome” reported memory loss, troubled sleep, and hearing strange buzzing noises, leading to unsubstantiated claims by U.S. officials that the illness was caused by an “attack” by Cuban intelligence officials.

“I do believe Cuba’s responsible. I do believe that,” U.S. president Donald Trump said of Havana Syndrome in 2017. “And it’s a very unusual attack, as you know.”

More:
https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2019/09/19/mysterious-havana-syndrome-suffered-by-diplomats-caused-by-zika-fumigation-study-suggests.html

[Judi Lynn]

2. Report: Cuba "sonic weapon" could've been mosquito repellent

Rashaan Ayesh 9 hours ago



A member of the Cuban army fumigates against mosquitoes after the Zika virus outbreak
in 2016. Photo: Yamil Lage/AFP/Getty Images

The U.S. suggested an "acoustic attack" in Cuba made U.S. staff sick in 2016, but a new report from Canada shows the attack may have been a mosquito repellant from Cuba's war on the Zika virus, reports Reuters.

Why this matters: Cuba denied attacking the U.S. embassy staff, but it still led to increased tensions between the 2 countries, per BBC. It prompted the U.S. to reduce its embassy staff to a minimum, writes Reuters.

What the Canadian report says: The researchers examined Canadian embassy staff who experienced similar symptoms to the Americans.

The neurotoxins from mosquito fumigation likely caused the headaches, blurred vision, dizziness and tinnitus people were experiencing, according to BBC.

More:
https://www.axios.com/cuban-sonic-weapon-mosquito-repellent-beddb0d5-ae20-4205-845a-1c00e1c32faa.html