Woman Gets Sick After Returning Home From Cuban Vacation
Canadian scientists have been trying to find out why a woman became very sick after she came home from vacation. The 69-year-old woman was struck with a bizarre illness after she returned home from a Cuban vacation. She suffered sweating, vomiting, nausea and generalized weakness after she got off of the plane. Her symptoms started while she was on the plane. She had sweating and urinary incontinence.
The woman was taken to the hospital. The doctors did not find any drugs in her system. She also wasn’t allergic to anything. However, the CT scan did have some unusual findings. They found that a portion of the brain that controls movement was denser that usual.
The woman even lost consciousness for a few hours. When she regained consciousness, she jerked and twitched voluntarily. Her facial muscles were also twitching.
The Woman’s Diagnosis
The doctors diagnosed the woman with organophosphate poisoning. This is a condition that occurs when a person is exposed to too much organophosphates. They are found in medications and insecticides. It can cause people to develop muscle twitching, muscle weakness, urination, depression and a slower heart rate.
No one knows how the woman came in contact with the organophosphates. However, people who have the severe level of poisoning that this woman had are typically farm workers. Cuba has also been using a lot of insecticides in order to control the Zika virus.
Experts believe that the woman may have been exposed to insecticides in her food. She traveled with a group, but she was the only person in her group to get sick. She ate a ham and cheese sandwich 30 minutes before she started to experience symptoms.
The woman was able to recover, but she has lasting effects from it. Five months after she first went to the hospital, she went for a checkup. She had lost 18 kilograms due to anorexia. She also had impaired memory, insomnia and daily headaches.
Additionally, she suffered from vertigo. This condition is caused by an imbalance in the inner ears. It is also a symptom of Havana Syndrome.
Havana Syndrome Is Nothing New
The 69-year-old woman is not the first person to suffer from Havana Syndrome. In fact, there have been several reports of people suffering from this condition after returning to the United States from Cuba.
