Havana Syndrome remains a medical mystery, causing neurological symptoms like headaches, tinnitus, and disorientation among American and Canadian embassy staff. First reported a decade ago among CIA officers in Cuba, similar cases have since surfaced in China, Russia, and even the United States. The U.S. Government Accountability Office calls them “anomalous health incidents (AHIs).”
For years, speculation pointed to foreign adversaries using radio frequency technology as a weapon. But an official report in 2025 concluded it is “very unlikely” that a foreign actor used “a novel weapon or prototype device to harm even a subset” of U.S. personnel and their families. No widely accepted explanation has emerged. Nevertheless, the condition has remained stubbornly mysterious.
Two physicians who have studied the symptoms offer what little clarity exists. Dr. Amit Sachdev is associate chief medical officer and director of neuromuscular medicine at Michigan State University. Dr. Omid Mehdizadeh is an otolaryngologist at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, California.
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Havana Syndrome describes a cluster of symptoms including headaches, dizziness, nausea, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, memory loss, confusion, disorientation, trouble walking, insomnia, sensitivity to sound, ear pain and pressure, tinnitus, and brain abnormalities resembling concussions. Most patients reported hearing an eerie sound when symptoms first appeared.
The condition does not commonly affect U.S. civilians. Anyone experiencing similar neurological issues should see a healthcare professional, the experts advise.
Between November 2016 and June 2018, 25 diplomats at the U.S. embassy in Havana, Cuba, reported symptoms. Government doctors suspected a sonic device, but no official cause was ever found. Those initial episodes occurred at diplomats’ homes and near the Hotel Capri and Hotel Nacional de Cuba.
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Cases then appeared elsewhere. At least three CIA officers experienced serious health episodes while overseas. One officer in 2020 said he developed severe nausea and headaches after pulling into an intersection; his 2-year-old son in the backseat started crying. Symptoms improved after he left the intersection.
Because doctors don’t know what causes Havana Syndrome, treatment is difficult, Dr. Sachdev said.
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