ALARMING

U.S. Expands Health Alert in China Over Mystery Illness

The State Department is now warning that the unexplained ailment may be “countrywide” rather than in a single city.

The U.S. State Department has expanded a health alert issued in response to a mysterious ailment affecting U.S. personnel in China. After initially warning that the illness appeared to affect those in the city of Guangzhou last month, the State Department said Friday the alert now applies to the entire country. Americans who experience any “unusual, unexplained physical symptoms or events, auditory or sensory phenomena, or other health concerns” are urged to seek medical help immediately. Several people employed at the consulate in Guangzhou have already been evacuated and brought back to the U.S. for medical evaluation after experiencing symptoms resembling a brain injury. One U.S. employee is said to have “suffered a medical incident.” The unexplained illness in China has sparked fears that it may be connected to a similar incident that began in Cuba in 2016. Dozens of U.S. personnel stationed there have suffered similar symptoms, with many of them complaining of hearing strange sounds, suffering hearing loss, and cognitive issues.