British Army medics have landed by balloon on the remote Atlantic island of Tristan da Cunha to treat a British national suspected of having hantavirus.
The man had disembarked from the MV Hondius cruise ship, which was hit by a virus outbreak in mid-April. He had returned to Tristan da Cunha, where he lives.
The archipelago in the South Atlantic is the most remote British overseas territory. Along with Easter Island, it is also the most permanently inhabited territory on the mainland.
Tristan da Cunha is home to 221 British nationals. There is no airport, so the island can only be reached by sea.
However, in this case, that option was not suitable, as the patient’s oxygen supply was running low, the coordinator of the operation, the commander of the 16th Airborne Assault Brigade, Ed Cartwright, told the BBC.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the Briton, who lives on the island of Tristan da Cunha, left the ship on April 14.
On April 28, he developed diarrhea, and two days later, a fever. At the moment, his condition is stable. Six paratroopers and two doctors from the 16th Airborne Assault Brigade have landed on the Tristan da Cunha archipelago.
