State Dept Issues Warning After Employee Hit by Possible Sonic Attack in China

The U.S. State Department issued a warning to U.S. citizens in China Wednesday after a government employee experiencing “abnormal” sounds and pressure received a mild traumatic brain injury.

“A U.S. government employee in China recently reported subtle and vague, but abnormal, sensations of sound and pressure,” the department said. “The U.S. government is taking these reports seriously and has informed its official staff in China of this event.”

A health alert released by the U.S. consulate in Guangzhou, the Chinese city where the employee was stationed, tells Americans to report any similar medical issues “that developed during or after a stay in China.”

The consulate describes potential symptoms to include “acute auditory or sensory phenomena accompanied by unusual sounds or piercing noise” and warns U.S. citizens against attempting to locate its source.

“We do not currently know what caused the reported symptoms and we are not aware of any similar situations in China, either inside or outside of the diplomatic community,” the department added.