US Citizens Warned After Diplomat Suffers Possible Sonic Attack

原创 Charles L. theBeijinger

The US State Department issued a health alert to its citizens residing in China of a possible "sonic attack" after one of its employees was diagnosed with a brain injury after complaining of strange "sensations of sound and pressure."

As seen on its official website (china.usembassy-china.org.cn), the US Embassy said a Guangzhou-based employee experienced "subtle and vague, but abnormal, sensations of sound and pressure."

The notice said the cause of the symptoms remains unknown, and that this is the only known case of its kind to have happened to a US citizen in China, whether from inside or outside the diplomatic community.

A US Embassy in Beijing spokesperson said the employee reported the symptoms during their stay in Guangzhou between April 2017 and April 2018. Upon returning to the USA for medical treatment, the embassy said they learned of the mild traumatic brain injury diagnosis on May 18.

According to the embassy warning, US expats are advised not to attempt to locate the source of "any unusual acute auditory or sensory phenomena accompanied by unusual sounds or piercing noises" during their time in China. Instead, they are advised to simply leave for another location where the sounds are not present.

For any concerns about medical conditions that developed during a stay in China, US citizens are advised to consult a medical professional.

The Guangzhou incident comes after similar incidents happened to US and Canadian diplomats stationed in Cuba. Numerous members of embassy staff from both countries were removed after they complained of symptoms like hearing loss, dizziness, tinnitus, visual difficulties, and headaches.

Although technological advances have allowed sound to be weaponized, experts interviewed by CNN say they are unfamiliar with any known device that can cause the symptoms experienced in Havana or Guangzhou.

"I know of no acoustic effect that would produce concussion-like symptoms; according to my research, strong effects on humans require loudness levels that would be perceived as very loud noise while exposed," said Jürgen Altmann, a physics professor at Technischen Universität Dortmund in Berlin.

Earlier this week, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said his department is investigating both the Guangzhou and Havana incidents, noting that the symptoms suffered by embassy staff are "very similar and entirely consistent" with each other.

The embassy spokesperson said the Chinese government is also investigating and taking "appropriate measures."

Images: pwpla.com