More than 20 U.S. consulate workers in Guangzhou, China, were recently evacuated after experiencing unexplained health issues caused by a suspected "auditory attack." They are currently undergoing medical screening for treatment, according to a recent article by the Associated Press.
The workers showed symptoms of dizziness, headaches and an inability to concentrate, with one recently evacuated government worker reporting to have had "subtle and vague, but abnormal, sensations of sound and pressure," according to the article.
Their symptoms are eerily similar to those reported in 2016 by U.S. personnel in Cuba who said to have experienced a "sonic attack" while working in the American embassy in Havana.
American personnel were already evacuated from Guangzhou and undergoing brain MRIs at the University of Pennsylvania—where those from Cuba are also being studied.
"The preliminary findings of the medical reports on the 24 personnel affected there [in China] showed they had sensory and memory problems similar to the brain dysfunction seen with concussions," according to the article. "The Penn team said the patients experienced persistent disability though rehabilitation therapy customized for them seemed to help."
A recent graduate from Dominican University (IL) with a bachelor’s in journalism, Melissa joined TriMed’s Chicago team in 2017 covering all aspects of health imaging. She’s a fan of singing and playing guitar, elephants, a good cup of tea, and her golden retriever Cooper.