Canada reviewing presence in Cuba after another diplomat mysteriously falls ill

Canada is reconsidering its diplomatic presence in Cuba following another confirmed illness among embassy staff.

A senior government official said Thursday a staff member posted to the Canadian Embassy in Havana reported symptoms in early summer and testing recently confirmed the case.

A total of 13 diplomats, spouses and dependents have come down with a mysterious illness that causes nausea, dizziness, headaches and trouble concentrating, among other symptoms.

When symptoms first appeared in February and March of last year, the government believed the illness only affected hearing.

Now, they understand it’s a much broader range of symptoms that affect people differently.

They have since developed baseline testing and are offering it to those Canadians who haven’t had that screening.

Until the most recent case, there had been no Canadians diagnosed with the illness since October 2017.

Officials said most of those who became ill have returned to work and school, although some still have symptoms.

In April, Canada announced that diplomats posted to Cuba would not be accompanied by dependents due to the ongoing uncertainty. There are 12 Canadians working at the embassy in Havana.

The government said senior officials will be travelling to Cuba next week to review Canadian operations. They said all options are on the table, but it’s too early to speculate what steps might be taken.

In August, Ottawa began a research partnership with the Brain Repair Centre at Dalhousie University to better understand the illness.

The government said researchers at Dalhousie are in contact with those at the University of Pennsylvania, who developed tests for U.S. Embassy staff who became ill around the same time last year.

The RCMP is leading a joint investigation to determine the cause of the illness, which also struck several American diplomats in Havana.

Speculation has focused on some kind of acoustic or microwave assault, unknown contaminants and even chirping crickets. Officials have all but ruled out environmental factors — such as toxins in the air, soil or water — and no longer suspect a sonic attack is to blame.

Officials said there are no confirmed cases in any other countries in the Canadian diplomatic network.

Pamela Isfeld, president of the Professional Association of Foreign Service Officers, said the emergence of another case is “very upsetting news” and the union is trying to ensure Global Affairs continues to take all reasonable measures to ensure health and safety.

“The fact that no cause has been found, and therefore no definitive treatment or mitigation measures can be identified, is deeply frustrating to all concerned.”