In 2016, one of the US embassy staff members awoke late at night in Havana, Cuba, to a loud, ripping sound in one ear, followed by intense nausea and dizziness. More than 100 US agents, diplomats, and military officials in China, Serbia, Russia, Austria, the White House, and elsewhere had reported comparable symptoms of the unexplained illness within five years.
The US has no idea who or what is responsible for the occurrences. A sonic weapon attack, nerve gas, and microwave death beams are among the theories. However, there is no hard evidence of a weapon, and Moscow, China, and Havana all deny any part in the attacks, supposing there were any to refute.
Continue reading to learn more about the Havana Syndrome UPSC topic. Note down all the key points for your UPSC preparation.
Havana Syndrome UPSC Topic
Read about this mysterious illness in detail in the sections below:
What is Havana Syndrome?
Havana Syndrome is a collection of unexplained clinical conditions that began in late 2016 among US State Department workers stationed in Cuba. Those diplomats had been despatched to Cuba as part of President Barack Obama’s reconciliation with Cuba, which began after decades of strained diplomatic ties between the two countries. The outbreak of the diseases on Cuban soil put a strain on those growing connections.
Diplomats and security officers deployed around the world have reported identical symptoms since the initial occurrences.
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Havana Syndrome Symptoms
Dizziness, headaches, weariness, nausea, anxiety, cognitive impairments, and memory loss are among the symptoms reported by those who have been impacted. Diplomats and intelligence officials have been forced to leave active duty as a result of the condition’s difficulties.
Havana Syndrome First Occurrence
In late 2016, the first cases were discovered among US and Canadian military stationed in Cuba. In 2018, the State Department confirmed possible cases in China, removing State Department personnel and their families from Guangzhou after infections were detected there. Diplomats and intelligence workers in Russia, Georgia, Poland, and Taiwan have all been hit, according to reports.
The CIA evacuated an intelligence officer stationed in Serbia in autumn 2021 after he suffered major ailments associated with the Havana Syndrome, while a US source reported in October that at least two American nationals had been stricken in Bogotá, Colombia.
According to those aware of the instances, officials serving at U.S. diplomatic posts in Geneva and Paris were also stricken in 2021, with at least one being flown to the United States for medical care.
Leading Theories on Causes of Havana Syndrome
Investigators initially assumed the sickness was caused by a sonic or acoustic weapon attack. Pulsed radio-frequency energy was recognized as the most likely suspect in a later examination by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.
The University of Pennsylvania examined the brains of 40 patients who had the illness and discovered some evidence of brain disorders. This sparked fears that Russia or another foreign power was developing a weapon or employing radio-frequency surveillance equipment against intelligence agents and diplomats around the globe.
However, the CIA found in a comprehensive analysis released in January that any foreign force was unlikely to be behind the majority of the attacks, while the agency said it was reviewing a limited number of incidents to see if a foreign actor was involved. Medical issues, stress, and other variables were found to be the most common causes, according to the CIA.
Interesting Facts on Havana Syndrome for UPSC Notes
These amazing facts on Havana Syndrome can be a great addition to your UPSC preparation.
# The symptoms could be the result of an energy attack.
# Previous microwave strikes on US embassy personnel have occurred
# The US Embassy in Cuba is not the only occurrence
# An event in China mimics the scenario in Havana.
# The attention of Canadian experts has been on suspected chemical reasons.
# There’s a chance that psychological issues are causing the numbers to rise.No one knows who is responsible for the ‘attacks.’
Conclusion
The majority of UPSC exams entail learning static and dynamic subjects. While there is a huge list of disciplines available for preparation, most of them can be classed as dynamic, such as Current Affairs, or static, such as History or Geography for the UPSC exam.
Static subjects do not change, while dynamic subjects, such as UPSC current affairs, change on a daily basis, and you must stay up with them. Dynamic and static components predominate in the subject of current affairs for the UPSC exam.
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