Diplomats’ illness still a mystery

Doctor sent to Cuba to investigate

OTTAWA — The federal government sent a doctor to Cuba to examine Canadian diplomats who suffered everything from nosebleeds to short-term memory loss amid concern about mysterious acoustic attacks, newly declassified memos show.

The June visit to Havana by Dr. Jeffrey Chernin of Health Canada revealed symptoms similar to those experienced by U.S. personnel in Cuba, the internal Global Affairs Canada notes say.

Word of the perplexing phenomenon — which remains unexplained — emerged during the summer, prompting the United States to bring many diplomats home from Havana and to expel Cuban representatives from Washington.

In August, Ottawa acknowledged that an unspecified number of Canadians in Cuba had been affected, but Global Affairs has said little about the events.

The newly disclosed records, obtained by The Canadian Press under the Access to Information Act, show that as early as May, Canada’s mission in Havana was seeking help in working out “next steps” for Canadi- an staff having problems.

“Many of the symptoms are similar to signs of extreme stress, and there is the possibility that there could be mental health effects caused by the fear of being targeted,” wrote diplomat Karen Foss. “Either way, testing should help to rule out cases and reassure personnel that we have the means to be able to provide duty of care.”

Symptoms included headaches, dizziness, nausea, hearing loss, nosebleeds and cognitive issues including loss of shortterm memory.

But Canadian officials were puzzled about who or what might have been behind the purported attacks. “There are no answers,” Foss wrote in a May 28 email. “We are left to (sift through) what we know about ... the targets and possible suspects.”

Local guards were asked to increase their patrols around the residential properties of Canadian staff and to be extra vigilant in reporting.

All Canadian personnel experiencing symptoms have undergone testing in Canada or the U.S., Global Affairs spokesperson Sujata Raisinghani said Thursday. However, she declined to say how many diplomats and family members have been affected.