A member of CIA director Bill Burns' team who traveled with him to India this month was treated for "symptoms consistent with Havana syndrome," CNN first reported Monday.
Why it matters: Current and former officials told the New York Times the incident signals a "possible escalation" in the mysterious neurological symptoms affecting as many as 200 Americans who've worked in overseas posts since 2016.
- The reports come weeks after Vice President Kamala Harris' trip to Vietnam was delayed when U.S. personnel reported symptoms consistent with the syndrome, first detected in Havana, Cuba.
- It raises questions about whether Burns' CIA staff were deliberately targeted by a foreign adversary, though sources told NBC News the agency hadn't determined what precisely could've caused the condition.
The intrigue: Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a letter obtained by NBC News last month that the State Department lacked answers for the cause of and treatments for the unexplained health incidents.
- A U.S. National Academy of Sciences panel found last December that a radio frequency energy of radiation that includes microwaves likely caused Havana syndrome.
- Its report didn't attribute blame for the suspected attacks, but noted there "was significant research in Russia/USSR into the effects of pulsed, rather than continuous wave [radio frequency] exposures."
Of note: Burns has said previously that there's a "very strong possibility" that Russia is behind the syndrome and that it could be intentionally caused, Reuters notes.
What they're saying: A CIA spokesperson wouldn't confirm the India case, but said the agency and the U.S. government took such incidents seriously, and that "Burns has made it a top priority to ensure officers get the care they need and that we get to the bottom of this."
- "We’ve strengthened efforts to determine the origins of the incidents, including assembling a team of our very best experts — bringing an intensity and expertise to this issue akin to our efforts to find Bin Ladin," the spokesperson added.
Editor's note: This article has been updated with comment from the CIA.
