As many as 200 Americans have now reported possible symptoms of 'Havana Syndrome,' officials say

WASHINGTON — As many as 200 Americans have come forward to describe possible symptoms of directed energy attacks, part of a wave of fresh reports that includes newly identified incidents around the world, Western officials say.

official with knowledge of new potential cases of so-called Havana Syndrome said a steady drumbeat of cables has been coming in from overseas posts reporting new incidents — often multiple times each week.

Almost half of the possible cases involve CIA officers or their relatives, two officials said, while about 60 involve Defense Department employees or relatives, and around 50 were linked to the State Department.

Several FBI employees reported to officials that they were hit in Vienna, including some possible cases dating back more than a decade.

A Defense Department spokesman said: "The Department is heavily engaged on this issue as a part of the [National Security Council]-led interagency process across the federal government to address anomalous health incidents, and is fully committed to determining both the causes and source.

Biden administration officials said government employees were encouraged to come forward if they had experienced symptoms and cautioned that not all people who have done so will end up being considered Havana Syndrome cases.

A senior administration official said: "In certain cases, these incidents have upended the lives of U.S.

"When it comes to Vienna, in coordination with our interagency partners, we are vigorously investigating reports of possible unexplained health incidents among the U.S.

Embassy community there, and we're also doing that wherever these incidents are reported," State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters Monday.

officials have said they do not know what explains the mysterious neurological symptoms first experienced by U.S.

A team of medical and scientific experts who studied the symptoms of as many as 40 State Department and other government employees concluded that nothing like them had previously been documented in medical literature, according to the National Academies of Sciences report.

"Director Burns is personally engaged with personnel affected by anomalous health incidents and is highly committed to their care and to determining the cause of these incidents," a CIA spokesperson said.

government and private sector to work collectively to increase understanding of the possible mechanisms that are causing these anomalous health incidents.".

The State Department also has a panel of medical and scientific experts examining the cases, and like the CIA panel, its members have access to relevant classified information.

government workers who have reported worrisome incidents in Western Europe to their superiors in the State Department have been met with skepticism and disbelief, three people with knowledge of the situation said.