BEIJING (Reuters) - The U.S. State Department on Friday issued an expanded health alert for all of China amid reports some U.S. diplomats based in the country had experienced a mysterious malady that resembles a brain injury and has already affected U.S. personnel in Cuba.

“The State Department received medical confirmation that a U.S. government employee in China suffered a medical incident consistent with what other U.S. government personnel experienced in Havana, Cuba,” it said in an emailed statement.

“As a result of additional voluntary medical screenings, the department has sent other individuals to the United States for further evaluation.”

A previous statement in May only mentioned the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou as the location for the health alert, though it was sent to U.S. citizens throughout the country. </s> The US embassy in China issued a new health alert for its citizens on Friday after more US government employees were evacuated from the country over fears they may have been hit by a mysterious illness.

American officials sent a medical team to the southern city of Guangzhou last month after an employee attached to the consulate there was diagnosed with brain trauma after experiencing strange sounds.

The case revived fears that a US rival has developed some kind of acoustic or microwave device after similar symptoms were reported among American diplomats and their families in Cuba in 2016.

The US embassy’s latest health alert, the second in two weeks, said that following voluntary medical screenings, the State Department “has sent other individuals to the United States for further evaluation”.

The message urges staff and family members to contact their health care provider if they experience “any unusual, unexplained physical symptoms or events, auditory or sensory phenomena, or other health concerns”.

“Symptoms to be attentive for include dizziness, headaches, tinnitus, fatigue, cognitive issues, visual problems, ear complaints and hearing loss, and difficulty sleeping,” the alert says.

The message urges people to “not attempt to locate the source of any unidentified auditory sensation” and instead move to a different location.

The cases come at a sensitive time in relations between the United States and China, with the two nations locked in negotiations aimed at preventing a trade war and tensions over Beijing’s claims to the South China Sea.

The State Department, which reported the latest medical evacuations on Wednesday, has not accused any particular country or organisation of being behind the latest incidents.

The Chinese foreign ministry said Thursday that its investigation into the first case has not yielded any clues as to the cause of the incident.

“As for the latest incident, my understanding is that the US side hasn’t had any formal communication with the Chinese side about it,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said Thursday at a regular press briefing.

The State Department has previously said brain injuries suffered by 24 US officials and family members posted in Havana could have been the result of a “health attack”, perhaps from an unidentified secret weapon.

Washington has said in the past that Cuban authorities must take responsibility for the safety of US diplomats on their soil, but the Havana government denies any knowledge of an attack.

The US has set up a task force to oversee the response to the mystery ailments among diplomats in China and Cuba. </s> US Embassy in China sends new alert for mystery health issue

GUANGZHOU, China (AP) — The U.S. Embassy in China sent its second alert in two weeks Friday to its citizens over unexplained health issues that have prompted the evacuation of a number of U.S. government employees working at a consulate in a southern city.

The alert urged Americans to seek medical help in the event they suffered any "unusual, unexplained physical symptoms or events, auditory or sensory phenomena, or other health concerns."

The alert comes as a U.S. medical team is screening more Americans who work at the Guangzhou consulate. A previous case in Guangzhou, disclosed last month, prompted the tests.

The incidents have raised fears the unexplained issues that started in Cuba in 2016 have expanded to other countries. China says it has uncovered no information that could point to a cause.

The most recent evacuations followed medical testing that revealed they might have been affected. State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said "a number of individuals" had been brought to the U.S. but didn't say how many were affected or evacuated.

Friday's alert called for people to be attentive of symptoms including "dizziness, headaches, tinnitus, fatigue, cognitive issues, visual problems, ear complaints and hearing loss, and difficulty sleeping." It urged them "not to attempt to locate the source of any unidentified auditory sensation. Instead, move to a different location."

The U.S. government has deemed the Cuba incidents "specific attacks" on American workers but hasn't publicly identified a cause or culprit. Most of the incidents were accompanied by bizarre, unexplained sounds that initially led U.S. investigators to suspect a sonic attack.

Asked about the latest incidents, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said Thursday that the U.S. had not formally raised the matter with Beijing.

"If the U.S. makes formal contact with us, China will continue necessary investigations in an earnest and responsible manner and maintain close communication and cooperation with the U.S.," Hua said at a regularly scheduled news conference.

China earlier said it had looked into the case announced last month but came up with no clues about the cause of the symptoms.

A U.S. official, who wasn't authorized to discuss the situation publicly and requested anonymity, said the evacuated American government workers were being brought from China for testing to the University of Pennsylvania. That's where doctors have been treating and studying patients previously evacuated from the U.S. Embassy in Havana.

The preliminary findings of the medical reports on the 24 personnel affected in Cuba showed they had sensory and memory problems similar to the brain dysfunction seen with concussions.

The Penn team said the patients from Cuba experienced persistent disability though rehabilitation therapy customized for them seemed to help.

Canada in April also ordered families of diplomatic staff in Cuba to return home after mysterious health symptoms were detected in 10 Canadians stationed on the island. Canada said the 10 continued to show unexplained brain symptoms and that "medical information raised concerns for a new type of a possible acquired brain injury."

In testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee last month about the first case in China, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said China had "said all the right things and have demonstrated their willingness to help us identify the vector which led to this medical incident."

The China incidents affect one of the most important of the seven U.S. diplomatic outposts in the country. The Guangzhou consulate opened months after the establishment of diplomatic relations between Beijing and Washington in 1979 and moved to its new purpose-built facility in 2013.

It serves four southern provinces with a combined population of more than 204 million and processes more than 1 million visa applications of all types annually. It is also the only U.S. diplomatic installation in China authorized to process immigrant visas and handle adoptions.

People working in The Canton Place complex, a few kilometers (miles) from the consulate, said Thursday they were just hearing about the incidents, reflecting a lack of coverage in China's entirely state-controlled media.

Aled Williams, a British teacher at a kindergarten said Thursday that the reports sounded "sci-fi-ish."

"Hard to get my head around how it works," he said. "Better watch myself."

Linda Chen, who runs a coffee shop in the area, said she was mystified as to why only certain people seemed to have been affected in an area known for its comfort and safety.

"For me I feel it's very strange. But I don't feel that there's something to be very afraid of because it's probably a very special case," Chen said.

Associated Press writer Josh Lederman in Washington, D.C. contributed to this report. </s> US issues new China health alert over mystery illness

BEIJING: The US embassy in China issued a new health alert for its citizens on Friday after more US government employees were evacuated from the country over fears they may have been hit by a mysterious illness.

American officials sent a medical team to the southern city of Guangzhou last month after an employee attached to the consulate there was diagnosed with brain trauma after experiencing strange sounds.

The case revived fears that a US rival has developed some kind of acoustic or microwave device after similar symptoms were reported among American diplomats and their families in Cuba in 2016.

The US embassy’s latest health alert, the second in two weeks, said that following voluntary medical screenings, the State Department "has sent other individuals to the United States for further evaluation".

The message urges staff and family members to contact their health care provider if they experience "any unusual, unexplained physical symptoms or events, auditory or sensory phenomena, or other health concerns". "Symptoms to be attentive for include dizziness, headaches, tinnitus, fatigue, cognitive issues, visual problems, ear complaints and hearing loss, and difficulty sleeping," the alert says. </s> BEIJING (Reuters) - The U.S. State Department on Friday issued an expanded health alert for all of China amid reports some U.S. diplomats based in the country had experienced a mysterious malady that resembles a brain injury and has already affected U.S. personnel in Cuba.

The entrance of the U.S. Consulate in Guangzhou, China June 7, 2018. REUTERS/Sue-Lin Wong

A previous statement in May only mentioned the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou as the location for the health alert, though it was sent to U.S. citizens throughout the country.

The State Department had confirmed earlier that one U.S. employee assigned to the consulate in Guangzhou had “suffered a medical incident”, and that it had deployed a team to screen employees and family members there.

On Wednesday the U.S. government said that it had brought a group of people from that consulate back to the United States for further evaluation of their symptoms, and that it was offering screening to anyone at the U.S. embassy in Beijing or other consulates in China who requested it.

The United States also operates consulates in the mainland Chinese cities of Chengdu, Shanghai, Shenyang and Wuhan.

The location of the health alert was changed to “countrywide” from Guangzhou in the updated statement sent by email.

“The State Department received medical confirmation that a U.S. government employee in China suffered a medical incident consistent with what other U.S. government personnel experienced in Havana, Cuba,” the statement said, reiterating comments made last month by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

It warned of “unexplained physical symptoms or events, auditory or sensory phenomena”, and said symptoms of the ailment included dizziness, headaches, tinnitus, fatigue, cognitive issues, visual problems, ear complaints and hearing loss, as well as difficulty sleeping.

China has said that it thoroughly investigated the initial case reported by the United States and found no reasons or clues to explain it.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said on Thursday that as far as she was aware the Chinese government had not had any formal communication with U.S. officials on any new cases.

China’s state-run Global Times tabloid called the situation at the consulate “very strange”.

“Practically all Chinese people do not believe that this country’s official organizations would carry out such sonic attacks against U.S. diplomats. This does not fit with China’s basic concept and principles of diplomacy, and is inconceivable,” the Global Times said in an editorial.

It also said people found it hard to believe that another foreign country could carry out such an attack in China, escape China’s monitoring, and leave no trace.

Last year, 24 U.S. government employees and family members in Cuba displayed the symptoms, which were similar to those related to concussion and mild traumatic brain injury, according to the State Department.

The illnesses among the American diplomats stationed in Havana heightened tension between the old Cold War foes.

Pompeo released a statement on Tuesday saying the department established a task force last month “to direct a multi-agency response to the unexplained health incidents”. </s> GUANGZHOU, China (AP) — The U.S. Embassy in China has sent its second alert in two weeks to its citizens over unexplained health issues that have prompted the evacuation of a number of U.S. government employees working at a consulate in a southern city.

Friday's alert urged Americans to seek medical help in the event they suffered any "unusual, unexplained physical symptoms or events, auditory or sensory phenomena, or other health concerns."

The alert comes as a U.S. medical team is screening more Americans who work at the Guangzhou consulate. A previous case in Guangzhou, disclosed last month, prompted the tests.

The incidents have raised fears the unexplained issues that started in Cuba in 2016 have expanded to other countries. China says it has uncovered no information that could point to a cause. </s> More US diplomats, employees, and their families in China are being medically evaluated and evacuated amid growing accounts of mysterious episodes involving sound and pressure that appear linked to the development of mild traumatic brain injuries, according to reports by The New York Times.

US gov’t employee in China left with brain injury after strange sounds, pressure Last month, the State Department revealed that one US employee at the US consulate in the city of Guangzhou, just northwest of Hong Kong, reported experiencing “subtle and vague, but abnormal, sensations of sound and pressure” and sustained a mild traumatic brain injury despite no evidence of a blow to the head. The episode drew eerie parallels to the mysterious “health attacks” experienced by diplomats at the US embassy in Cuba, which left 24 Americans with similar brain injuries.

That unidentified employee in Guangzhou was evacuated and sent for more medical testing in the US. The State Department, meanwhile, issued a health alert on May 23 for those remaining in China. Though the department suggested vigilance, it added that it was “not aware of any similar situations in China, either inside or outside of the diplomatic community,” suggesting that the episode may have been an isolated event so far.

But in an interview with the Times, Mark Lenzi, an American security engineering officer at the Guangzhou consulate, disputed that suggestion. “They knew full well it wasn’t [an isolated case],” he said.

Diplomats in Cuba have been under attack—but the weaponry is a mystery He, his wife, and two children were evacuated on Wednesday, June 6. He said that he and his wife had suffered unexplained headaches and sleeping problems since the end of last year—about the same time the first, unidentified evacuated employee reported experiencing problems. The couple also reported unexplained sounds, similar to marbles rolling around a metal funnel.

Since the health alert, more employees have come forward reporting such noise episodes and symptoms, including, “dizziness, headaches, tinnitus, fatigue, cognitive issues, visual problems, ear complaints and hearing loss, and difficulty sleeping,” according to the State Department. Those symptoms are generally consistent with those of a mild traumatic brain injury.

On May 31, a medical team and specialists from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention arrived in Guangzhou and began screening some of the more than 100 employees at the consulate.

In a statement released to the press late Wednesday, State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said:

The department would not reveal the counts of those screened and evacuated so far, but one official told the Times that a “sizable number” of people working in Guangzhou had requested screening.

For a “town-hall”-style meeting that took place Tuesday, June 5, acting Director General of the Foreign Service William E. Todd flew in to Guangzhou to discuss medical evacuations with employees, among other things.

“Injury to widespread brain networks” in victims of mystery attacks in Cuba Those evacuated are being sent for further evaluation at the University of Pennsylvania Center for Brain Injury and Repair, where a team of doctors conducted in-depth clinical exams on 21 Americans affected by similar episodes in Cuba. In those cases, the team determined that the victims had sustained “injury to widespread brain networks without an associated history of head trauma.” Their results were published in March in JAMA.

So far, there are no leading hypotheses for what is causing the sounds and brain injuries, despite rampant discussion of “sonic attacks,” as well as malfunctioning surveillance equipment. As Ars has noted before, it’s unlikely that audible sounds or even infrasound alone could cause such brain injuries—particularly without large, hard-to-conceal sonic equipment, like massive speakers, being noticed by victims. A team of researchers proposed that ultrasonic interference from devices such as room-occupancy sensors could explain the noises people report. But again, there’s no evidence or clear hypothesis for this causing the constellation of symptoms and brain injuries seen in victims.

High-intensity, focused ultrasounds (>20,000Hz) can cause brain tissue heating and damage. But, as Joseph Pompei, a former MIT researcher and psychoacoustics expert told the AP earlier, "somebody would have to submerge their head into a pool lined with very powerful ultrasound transducers” to sustain a brain injury.

As the team of doctors speculated in their JAMA report, the sounds may be merely associated with the harmful phenomena, not the cause of injuries. Other guesses as to the cause include collective delusions, toxins, and infectious agents.

On Thursday, June 7, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said it was prepared to aid the US in investigating the mysterious episodes. </s> (CNN) US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Wednesday that an incident involving a US government employee stationed in China who reported "abnormal sensations of sound and pressure" suggesting a mild brain injury has medical indications that are "very similar" and "entirely consistent" to those experienced by American diplomats posted in Havana.

US officials have issued a health alert in China following the incident. Additionally, the US State Department is looking into whether the incident is similar to what happened in Cuba in 2016 and 2017, a US diplomatic official told CNN, which the US government characterized as a "sonic attack." That incident led to a reduction in staffing at the US Embassy in Havana.

The official who fell ill was assigned to the city of Guangzhou in southern China and reported a range of physical symptoms from late 2017 through to April 2018, the State Department said. The employee was sent back to the United States for assessment.

The US Embassy in Beijing learned on May 18 that the clinical findings of the evaluation matched that of a "mild traumatic brain injury," an embassy spokeswoman told CNN.

Pompeo said the State Department is moving medical teams into place in Guangzhou and has asked for assistance from the Chinese government, which has committed to providing it.

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Read More </s> BEIJING/WASHINGTON, May 23 (Reuters) - An American citizen working at the U.S. consulate in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou has reported suffering from "abnormal" sounds and pressure leading to a mild brain injury, the U.S. embassy said on Wednesday and China said it was investigating the incident.

The embassy, which issued a health alert to Americans living in China, said it could not link the case to health issues suffered by U.S. government staff in Cuba dating back to late 2016.

In Washington, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the United States was concerned about the "serious medical incident" and raised it with China's visiting State Councillor Wang Yi.

"We notified China of what took place as best we know it and they have responded in a way that is exactly the right response," Pompeo told a news conference with Wang. "We're working together to resolve (this) ... I hope we can figure it out."

Earlier, he told Congress that the incident in China was "medically similar" to one suffered by American diplomats in Cuba.

Wang, speaking through a translator, said Beijing was investigating the incident and "we haven't found any organization or individual has carried out such a sonic influence."

"We don't want to see that this individual case will be magnified, complicated or even politicized. We hope people will not associate it with other unnecessary matters," he cautioned.

The unnamed American citizen assigned to the consulate in Guangzhou had reported a variety of "physical symptoms" dating from late 2017 to April this year, the U.S. embassy in Beijing said in an email.

The worker was sent to the United States for further evaluation. "The clinical findings of this evaluation matched mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI)," the embassy said.

The State Department was taking the incident very seriously and working to determine the cause and impact, the embassy said. Pompeo said that medical teams were heading to Guangzhou to investigate the incident.

The State Department added that the Chinese government told the embassy it was also investigating and taking appropriate measures.

"We cannot at this time connect it with what happened in Havana, but we are investigating all possibilities," a U.S. embassy official told Reuters.

The U.S. government on Wednesday issued a health alert to Americans in China, warning them about the incident it described as "subtle and vague, but abnormal, sensations of sound and pressure".

"While in China, if you experience any unusual acute auditory or sensory phenomena accompanied by unusual sounds or piercing noises, do not attempt to locate their source. Instead, move to a location where the sounds are not present," the emailed alert said.

The U.S. government in October expelled 15 Cuban diplomats from the United States for what it said was Cuba's failure to protect staff at the U.S. embassy in Havana from mysterious health incidents at one point thought to possibly have been acoustic "attacks".

Staff there reported symptoms including hearing loss, dizziness, fatigue and cognitive issues, though Cuban officials dismissed the idea of acoustic strikes as "science fiction" and accused Washington of slander.

The cause of those incidents remains unresolved.

The Canadian government in April said it would remove families of diplomats posted to Cuba after Canadian personnel there in 2017 also reported similar health symptoms. (Reporting by Michael Martina; Additional reporting by Lesley Wroughton and Patricia Zengerle and David Alexnader in Washington; Editing by Darren Schuettler and Susan Thomas)
The United States expand their health alert from Guangzhou to all of China, after it repatriated multiple employees with symptoms resembling a brain injury.