A CIA-led investigation has found that most cases of "Havana Syndrome," a mysterious illness first identified in 2016, were likely not caused by a sustained global campaign from a foreign adversary, according to Politico.
The CIA report, which covers 1,000 cases, found most could be explained by environmental causes, undiagnosed medical conditions or stress. The agency is still reviewing about two dozen cases that remain unexplained. The interim finding does not rule out the possibility that a minority of cases could be from targeted attacks by a foreign entity.
The agency has not identified a "causal mechanism" or "novel weapon" that's been used on a worldwide scale, a CIA official told Politico. This includes a directed energy weapon, which many victims have long suspected as the source of their symptoms.
The first Havana Syndrome cases were identified in 2016 among diplomats at the U.S. Embassy in Cuba. People believed to have the condition reported hearing a loud sound and pressure in their heads before experiencing dizziness, unsteady gait and visual disturbances, according to a 2020 report from the National Academies of Sciences.
Many victims, some of whom have been battling chronic symptoms for years, expressed dissatisfaction over the report's findings, according to The New York Times.