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An ex-health director of Brown County in Wisconsin is among the latest who have reported health problems related to wind power.

According to a USA Today report, Chua Xiong claimed in an email that she gets migraine headaches when she visits Duke Energy's Shirley Wind Farm. Her revelation came just as developers are eyeing more high-profile wind farm projects in Wisconsin. Xiong has since retired.

Brown County Citizens for Responsible Wind Energy (BCCRWE) claims that the email, sent by Xiong  to an  intern on Nov. 21, is further proof that the low-frequency sound from wind turbines caused some residents to suffer from health problems.

However, Xiong later stated the following month that there isn't sufficient evidence to link the turbines to the migraine. That caused the BCCRWE to claim that Xiong made the statement in order to avoid litigation with Duke Energy, and that her inaction will result in the prolonged daily suffering of Brown County residents.

There are a long line of reports that wind turbines are causing health problems to those who live nearby.

In an article published by National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) entitled "Adverse health effects of industrial wind turbines", it was reported that people who live or work near industrial wind turbines have experienced decreased quality of life, annoyance, stress, sleep disturbance, headache, anxiety, depression, and cognitive dysfunction. Suggested causes of symptoms include a combination of wind turbine noise, infrasound, dirty electricity, ground current, and shadow flicker.

In a 2009 article by The Telegraph, a New York paediatrician, Dr Nina Pierpont, identified  about 12 different health problems associated with WTS that  range from tachycardia [abnormal heart beat], sleep disturbance, headaches, tinnitus, nausea, visual blurring, panic attacks with sensations of internal quivering to more general irritability.

She said that the vibration and noise emitted by wind turbines can produce a range of symptoms which she has named "Wind Turbine Syndrome" or WTS.

Pierpont observed that the illnesses associated with WTS would  disappear when the person moves away from the wind turbines.

She said she expected that the wind industry would try to discredit and disparage her for the statements.