Establishment of the Health Incidents Response Task Force
Press Statement
Mike Pompeo
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
June 5, 2018
At my request, Deputy Secretary Sullivan established a task force on May 23 to direct a multi-agency response to the unexplained health incidents that have affected a number of U.S. government personnel and family members stationed overseas. The Health Incidents Response Task Force serves as the coordinating body for Department and interagency activities, including identification and treatment of affected personnel and family members, investigation and risk mitigation, messaging, and diplomatic outreach. The Task Force includes interagency partners, such as the Departments of Health and Human Services, Commerce, Justice, Defense and Energy, as well as other members of the foreign affairs community.
At this time, 24 U.S. government personnel and family members who served in Cuba have been medically-confirmed as having symptoms and clinical findings similar to those noted following concussion or minor traumatic brain injury. On May 16, 2018, a U.S. government employee serving in China was medically-confirmed with similar findings. The precise nature of the injuries suffered by the affected personnel, and whether a common cause exists for all cases, has not yet been established.
U.S. government personnel and family members at affected locations have been directed to alert their mission?s medical unit if they note new onset of symptoms that may have begun in association with experiencing unidentified auditory sensations. Reported symptoms have included dizziness, headaches, tinnitus, fatigue, cognitive issues, visual problems, ear complaints and hearing loss, and difficulty sleeping.
Public or congressional inquiries regarding American Citizen Services? issues in the affected countries may be referred to the Office of Overseas Citizens Services at 888-407-4747, or from overseas at 202-501-4444. Please direct media inquiries during regular business hours to the Press Office at (202) 647-2492, or after hours via the Operations Center at (202) 647-1512.
https://www.state.gov/secretary/remarks/2018/06/282970.htm
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US screens more staff in China over mystery health issues
By KELVIN CHAN and DAKE KANG
41 minutes ago
GUANGZHOU, China (AP) ? A U.S. medical team was screening more Americans who work at the consulate in southern China as the State Department confirmed evacuating a number of government employees who experienced unexplained health issues like those that have hurt U.S. personnel in Cuba and China.
The evacuations of workers in Guangzhou followed medical testing that revealed they might have been affected. State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said ?a number of individuals? had been brought to the U.S. but didn?t say how many were affected or evacuated. A previous case in Guangzhou, disclosed last month, prompted the tests.
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The incidents have raised fears the unexplained issues that started in Cuba in 2016 have expanded. The U.S. government has deemed those incidents ?specific attacks? on American workers but hasn?t publicly identified a cause or culprit. Most of the incidents were accompanied by bizarre, unexplained sounds that initially led U.S. investigators to suspect a sonic attack.
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The New York Times identified the latest American employee evacuated as Mark A. Lenzi, a security engineering officer at the consulate who left Wednesday night with his wife and two children.
Lenzi told the Times he resided in the same apartment tower as the officer evacuated in April and suffered in recent months from what he called ?neurological symptoms.?
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A U.S. official, who wasn?t authorized to discuss the situation publicly and requested anonymity, said the evacuated American government workers were being brought from China for testing to the University of Pennsylvania. That?s where doctors have been treating and studying patients previously evacuated from the U.S. Embassy in Havana.
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https://apnews.com/675d509b1af34a47a19b337b2d1a0093
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See also:
USA - The Department of State warns U.S. citizens not to travel to Cuba (September 29, 2017)
https://flutrackers.com/forum/forum...izens-not-to-travel-to-cuba-september-29-2017
