LATEST ON WHAT POSSIBLY HAPPENED AND A POSSIBLE SUSPECT.
>> IT IS SUCH A MYSTERY.
GOOD MORNING TO YOU.
AS OF TODAY, 26 EMBASSY STAFFERS
IN CUBA AND ONE IN CHINA HAVE
CONFIRMED WHAT THE U.S.
GOVERNMENT CALLS HEALTH ACACS.
NOW, A MOTHER IS SPEAKING OUT
FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME IN THIS
NBC NEWS EXCLUSIVE.
LAST YEAR, CATHERINE WERNER, A
DIPLOMAT IN SHINE IN ACHINA, TOL
PARENTS SHE WAS EXPERIENCING
STRANGE SOUNDS AND SENSATIONS IN
HER APARTMENT.
HER APARTMENT. HER HEALTH WAS DECLINING
RAPIDLY.
RAPIDLY. >> A SHELL OF WHAT SHE WAS.
>> Reporter: HER MOTHER, LAURA
HUGHES, WAS SO ALARMED, SHE
BOOKED A FLIGHT TO CHINA.
>> YOU KNOW THERE’S SOMETHING
WRONG WITH YOUR CHILDREN.
AND THERE WAS SOMETHING WRONG
WITH CATHERINE.
WITH CATHERINE. >> Reporter: SHE TRIED TO
REPLACE THE AIR FILTERS AND
BUYING IMPORTED FOOD.
NOTHING HELPED.
NOTHING HELPED. AND LAURA SAID SHE STARTED
FEELING IT, TOO.
>> WE HEARD A HIGH-PITCHED SOUND
IN CATHERINE’S BEDROOM AND A LOW
PULSING SOUND IN THE LIVING
ROOM.
ROOM. OUR HEADS WOULD PULSE.
IT WOULD FEEL LIKE YOU WOULD
WANT TO REGURGITATE.
INSTANTLY FATIGUED.
INSTANTLY FATIGUED. >> Reporter: LAURA HAS DEVELOPED
VISUAL PROBLEMS, INCLUDING
SENSITIVITY TO LIGHT, WHICH IS
WHY SHE IS WEARING DARK GLASSES
TODAY.
TODAY. IT’S SIMILAR TO WHAT DIPLOMATS
IN CUBA REPORTED FEELING.
AS MOTHER AND DAUGHTER
STRUGGLED, THEIR DOGS BEGAN
ACTING STRANGELY.
ACTING STRANGELY. >> THEY WOULD BE SHIVERING UNDER
THE BED.
THE BED. THEY WOULD VOMIT BLOOD.
THEY DIDN’T WANT TO GO BACK INTO
THE APARTMENT AFTER LONG WALKS.
THEY WOULD RUN DOWN THE HALLWAY
AND STOP JUST WHERE THE LIVING
ROOM BEGINS AND JUST SIT THERE.
AND THEIR HEADS WOULD MOVE
SIMULTANEOUSLY.
SIMULTANEOUSLY. WE WERE SO SCARED, WE DIDN’T
KNOW WHAT COULD THEY POSSIBLY BE
LOOKING AT?
LOOKING AT? >> Reporter: AFTER THREE MONTHS,
LAURA, UNABLE TO TOLERATE IT ANY
LONGER, HEADED BACK TO THE U.S.
THREE WEEKS LATER, THE STATE
DEPARTMENT MEDEVACKED CATHERINE
OUT OF CHINA.
>> THE DOCTORS DIAGNOSEDD
CATHERINE WITH TRAUMATIC TRAINBR
INJURY.
INJURY. >> THERE ARE THINGS THAT ARE
IDENTIFIED IN THEIR MRIs AND
C.A.T. SCANS SHOWING TRAUMATIC
BRAIN INJURY THAT SHOULDN’T BE
THERE, FOR PEOPLE THAT HAVE
NEVER HAD CONCUSSIONS.
>> Reporter: THE STATE
DEPARTMENT BROUGHT IN OUTSIDE
EXPERTS.
EXPERTS. THEIR FINDINGS, THE VICTIMS SEEM
TO SUFFER FROM A NEW TYPE OF
BRAIN NETWORK DISORDER.
WHO OR WHAT CAUSED IT, A
MYSTERY.
MYSTERY. >> THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT
IS STILL NOT SURE WHO OR WHAT IS
RESPONSIBLE FOR THOSE HEALTH
ATTACKS.
ATTACKS. >> Reporter: LEAVING LAURA
HUGHES AND OTHERS IN THE DARK.
>> I, TOO, HAVE BEEN DIAGNOSED
BY THE SAME DOCTORS AT THE V.A.
HOSPITAL IN PHILADELPHIA WITH
TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY.
>> Reporter: 16 WERE EVACUATED
AFTER REPORTING SOUNDS OR
SYMPTOMS.
SYMPTOMS. OTHER THAN CATHERINE, THE U.S.
SAYS NONE OF THEM ARE CONFIRMED
CASES.
CASES. SOME PEOPLE HAVE SUGGESTED THAT
MAYBE IT’S PSYCHOSEMATIC, MASS
HYSTERIA.
HYSTERIA. >> SCIENCE DOESN’T LIE.
THEY HAVE BEEN WORKING HARD AND
LONG ON US.
THERE IS NO WAY TO FAKE THIS.
>> Reporter: HAVE THEY TOLD YOU
OR CATHERINE IF THIS IS
PERMANENT DAMAGE?
PERMANENT DAMAGE? >> YES.
>> YES. IT LOOKS LIKE IT.
>> Reporter: THE NIH IS NOW
STUDYING THE SYNDROME.
BUT LAURA IS CALLING ON THE
STATE DEPARTMENT TO DO MORE.
>> I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT OUR
MILITARY OR OUR DIPLOMATS ARE
SAFE BECAUSE THIS WEAPON SYSTEM
IS CREATING HAVOC.
>> Reporter: DO YOU WORRY THIS
COULD HAPPEN TO OTHER DIPLOMATS
IN OTHER COUNTRIES?
>> THAT’S WHY I’M HERE.
THAT IS WHY I’M HERE.
>> Reporter: HUGHES IS SPEAKING
OUT.
OUT. SHE SAYS, HER DAUGHTER AND THE
OTHER DIPLOMATS CANNOT SPEAK OUT
WITHOUT FEAR OF LOSING THEIR
JOBS.
JOBS. MANY TOLD NBC THEY THINK THE
GOVERNMENT IS DOWNPLAYING WHAT
HAPPENED.
HAPPENED. THE STATE DEPARTMENT SAYS IT
TOOK QUICK AND DECISIVE ACTION
AFTER CONFIRMING THE CASE IN
CHINA AND IS PROVIDING EMPLOYEES
WITH THE BEST MEDICAL CARE BACK
HERE IN THE U.S.
>> YOU HEAR FROM A MOTHER AND
DAUGHTER AND IT’S CONVINCING.
AND YOU HEAR ABOUT THE PETS AND
YOU THINK, WHAT IS CAUSING THIS?
WHAT KIND OF WEAPON COULD THEY
BE USING?
BE USING? >> THEY’RE INVESTIGATING.
THE STRANGE SOUNDS POINTED TO A
SONIC WEAPON.
SONIC WEAPON. BUT AN FBI REPORT THIS YEAR
RULED THAT OUT.
NOW, U.S. OFFICIALS ARE TELLING
NBC NEWS THEY ARE CONSIDERING
THE POSSIBILITY OF AN ELECTRO
ELECTROMAGNETIC WEAPON, THAT
COULD CAUSE BRAIN DAMAGE.
>> WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT HER
SAYING IT’S LIKELY PERMANENT,
SHE IS WEARING THE GLASSES
BECAUSE THE LIGHT BOTHERS HER.