About 100 CIA officers and their families have been diagnosed with Havana Syndrome. CIA Director William Burns said that "about 200 US government officials have been diagnosed with Havana Syndrome, including about 100 CIA officers and their families." The CIA director said in an interview with National Public Radio that he had assigned a senior officer to lead the search for Osama bin Laden to investigate the Havana syndrome. He added that the number of medical staff in the investigation team has tripled.
Symptoms of Havana syndrome include migraine, dizziness, nausea, and memory loss. Earlier in 2016, officials at the US embassy in Cuba complained of Havana syndrome. The waiting period for CIA personnel with Havana Syndrome to enter Walter Reed National Military Medical Center has been increased from eight weeks to two weeks.
A panel from the US National Academy of Sciences cited possible causes of Havana syndrome in December, saying that "directed energy" rays could be the cause. The CIA director said there was a strong possibility that Havana syndrome was deliberate. William Burns said Russia could also be responsible. However, he clarified that it would be premature to reach a final conclusion until further investigation is carried out. Russia denies involvement in Havana syndrome