I'll just play it for you so you can hear.

There's a lot worse earlier.

That piercing sound is part of the mysterious illness that's taken on the moniker, Havana

Syndrome.

While the cause is unknown, those afflicted say it all starts with that sound.

The US Embassy in Cuba restarted full service earlier this month after being closed for nearly

six years after staff started getting sick from it.

Theories around the source of the sound range from something as alarming as a sonic weapon

attack by foreign actors to cause a mundane as crickets chirping.

I'm Naila Boudou, InfraGen White, and you're listening to the 1A podcast where we get

to the heart of the story.

Today on the show, we explore what we know about this illness and what questions remain.

Let's get into our Havana Syndrome discussion.

The CIA is investigating more than a thousand reported cases of the sickness, affecting foreign

service officers in Russia, Cuba, and the United States.

Before we get to the findings, let's introduce you to someone who's been suffering from these

symptoms for years.

Yesterday we spoke to Mark Polly Moropolis, a non-resident fellow at the Atlantic Council.

He served for decades in the CIA, eventually working as a deputy officer for the Europe

and Eurasia Mission Center in Moscow.

He began experiencing symptoms he believes to be related to Havana Syndrome in 2017.

Mark, thanks for being with us.

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