British Army Medics Parachute to Tristan da Cunha to Aid Man with Suspected Hantavirus

British Army medics parachuted onto Tristan da Cunha, Britain's most remote inhabited overseas territory, to assist a British national with suspected hantavirus.

The man, a resident of the South Atlantic island, left the MV Hondius cruise ship in mid-April amid a deadly outbreak of the virus. He reported diarrhea on April 28 and fever two days later. He remains in stable condition while isolating, according to the World Health Organization.

A team of six paratroopers and two medical clinicians from 16 Air Assault Brigade flew from RAF Brize Norton and jumped onto the archipelago. Two paratroopers jumped in tandem with an intensive care nurse and an intensive care doctor. The island typically relies on a two-person medical team.

The Ministry of Defence said an RAF A400M also dropped oxygen on Saturday after supplies reached a critical level.

This marked the first time the UK military parachuted medical personnel for humanitarian support, the MoD added. Tristan da Cunha has a population of 221, no airstrip and access only by boat. Average winds exceed 25 mph, complicating the parachute operation.

Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said, "This extraordinary operation reflects our unwavering commitment to the people of our overseas territories and to British nationals, wherever they are. The safety and well-being of all members of the British family is our number one priority."

She added, "I want to pay a huge tribute to our brave personnel for carrying out their task with the utmost professionalism and composure under pressure."

The WHO has confirmed six hantavirus cases linked to the MV Hondius, including two other Britons treated in the Netherlands and South Africa. Two more suspected cases include the Tristan da Cunha man. Three people died in the outbreak, two from confirmed hantavirus.

Nearly a month after the first death, the ship arrived in Tenerife, where more than 100 people plan to disembark for repatriation. No other British nationals aboard report symptoms but remain under monitoring, the UK Health Security Agency said. Two Britons who left at St Helena on April 24 are self-isolating at home in the UK.