American Sent Home From China After 'Abnormal Sensations'

A weird and singular case in China, where a US government employee stationed in the city of Guangzhou returned to America in April after reporting "subtle and vague, but abnormal, sensations of sound and pressure." An evaluation suggested the employee, stationed at the US Consulate there, had a "mild traumatic brain injury," a finding conveyed last week to the US Embassy in Beijing and one that spurred a State Department health alert issued Wednesday.

The State Department's health advisory noted the cause of the symptoms is unknown. Both the State Department and Chinese government are investigating the case, reports CNN; the employee began reporting symptoms late last year, and no other American personnel are known to have experienced anything similar. "While in China, if you experience any unusual acute auditory or sensory phenomena accompanied by unusual sounds or piercing noises, do not attempt to locate their source. Instead, move to a location where the sounds are not present," recommends the State Department. US officials made no reference to Cuba, where similar reports have been made in relation to two dozen Americans, reports CBS News. (More China stories.)