A specialist British Army team has parachuted onto the remote south Atlantic island of Tristan da Cunha after a British national with suspected hantavirus disembarked from the MV Hondius cruise ship.
Military Operation Details
The Ministry of Defence confirmed that six paratroopers and two military clinicians were dropped from an RAF A400M aircraft. Oxygen supplies and additional medical aid were also airdropped onto the British Overseas Territory, which has no airstrip and is normally only accessible by boat.
MV Hondius Reaches Tenerife
The MV Hondius has now reached Tenerife in the Canary Islands, where all passengers and some crew members are set for evacuation. Intensive preparations are underway at the port of Granadilla to repatriate more than 100 people.
Patient Zero Identified
A Dutch birdwatcher, Leo Schilperoord, 70, who visited a landfill site in Argentina, has been identified as patient zero in the deadly outbreak. He, his wife, and another German passenger have died from the disease.
Suspected Case Confirmation
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) confirmed on Friday one suspected case of hantavirus involving a British national on Tristan da Cunha.
