A British national on the remote island of Tristan da Cunha, who had been aboard the cruise ship MV Hondius, is currently hospitalised with hantavirus symptoms, prompting a unique military operation to parachute medical personnel and aid onto the island.
Military Response
Six paratroopers, an RAF consultant, and an Army nurse from 16 Air Assault Brigade were deployed to Tristan da Cunha in the first humanitarian parachute operation of its kind. They delivered oxygen and medical supplies to the British overseas territory, which is one of the most isolated inhabited islands in the world.
Outbreak Linked to Cruise Ship
The MV Hondius, linked to a hantavirus outbreak that has resulted in three deaths, docked in Tenerife. British passengers are being repatriated to the UK for isolation and testing at Arrowe Park Hospital in Merseyside.
The World Health Organization confirmed eight hantavirus cases linked to the outbreak, including three deaths. Among the affected are three British nationals: two are hospitalised in South Africa and the Netherlands, and the third is on Tristan da Cunha.
Quarantine Measures
British passengers from the MV Hondius will undergo testing for hantavirus upon arrival in Tenerife. Those testing negative will be flown to the UK for precautionary isolation and further assessment at Arrowe Park Hospital, which was previously used for Covid-19 quarantine.
