At least two U.S. officials stationed in Germany sought medical treatment for the Havana Syndrome to mark the first cases reported in a NATO country that hosts American troops and nuclear weapons, The Wall Street Journal said Wednesday.
The mysterious brain injury has affected hundreds of U.S. officials and personnel throughout the world.
U.S. diplomats told the Journal that the officials in Germany were unable to work in recent months after developing Havana Syndrome symptoms, which included nausea, severe headaches, ear pain, fatigue, insomnia, and sluggishness.
The diplomats said that similar incidents had occurred among American officials stationed in other European nations but declined to give details.
The Journal, citing two U.S. diplomats and people familiar with an investigation into the illness, said some victims were intelligence officers or diplomats working on Russia-related issues such as gas exports, cybersecurity, and political interference.
The illness originated when a number of U.S. and Canadian diplomats stationed in Havana, Cuba, reported signs of vertigo, headaches, and insomnia.
First occurring in 2016, the syndrome has been seen in China, Russia, and Austria, a neutral nation. There have been unconfirmed cases in Poland, Taiwan, Georgia, and Washington, D.C.
Some U.S. officials have said the syndrome could be caused by attacks using radio-frequency energy such as microwave radiation.
The CIA is using a veteran of the agency's hunt for Osama bin Laden to head a task force aimed at finding the cause of the symptoms, the Journal reported last month.
One patient treated at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Maryland said doctors diagnosed a brain injury of the type seen in people exposed to shock waves from explosions. The individual, who recently transferred from a posting in a European capital, told the Journal the symptoms were preceded by piercing ear pain, high-pitched electronic noise, and pressure in the ears.
At first, the patient believed the symptoms were related to a COVID-19 vaccine received earlier. The embassy then flew the worker to Washington after the condition persisted, embassy officials said.
"There is no evidence about what happened to us, but it is striking that some of us had worked on Russia-related issues," said the worker, who declined to be named by the Journal.
The victim expressed concern that some of the apartments in which patients believed they were targeted are still being used by U.S. personnel.
"Whatever it is, it is a form of terrorism — it has caused serious injuries that have been life-altering for some of us," the person told the Journal.
A State Department spokesman told the Journal the situation was being investigated and is a top priority for Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
"Despite this extensive investigation, the interagency community has been unable to determine the cause or whether these injuries are the result of the involvement of any specific actors," said the spokesman, who added that any employees who reported unexplained health incidents received immediate and appropriate attention and care.
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