The idea that Havana Syndrome symptoms might be caused by an insect might sound absurd, but many people were under the impression that the symptoms experienced were because of….crickets. Indie’s short-tailed crickets (Anurogryllis Celerinictus) to be exact. How did we get to that conclusion? And why does it seem so matter-of-fact?
In 2018, an advisory group of scientists for the State Department produced a report (now declassified), stating that the source of Havana Syndrome was crickets. Buzzfeed obtained the report by means of a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request. While the report offers the crickets as an “explanation” for the cause of the noise, it seems to lack a definite cause for the symptoms, leaving room for assumption from the public and many misinterpretations.
Since the report, presently, some still debate whether or not Havana Syndrome was caused by crickets. Although, a lot of the victims have scarring in the innermost part of their brain (the cerebellum), that is comparable to that of a concussion experienced by a football player. While, according to research, the most a cricket chirp could do to a human is decrease cognitive function. The victims of Havana Syndrome have also experienced progressive deterioration and extreme neurological symptoms, as cricket chirps could not do.
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