Soldiers dropped oxygen supplies and medical aid to Britain’s most remote overseas territory

What is hantavirus?

Paratroopers landed on a “golf course covered in rocks” to supply medical personnel and oxygen to Britain’s most remote overseas territory as it deals with a suspected hantavirus case, an army commander has said.

The UK Health Security Agency confirmed on Friday that a British national had disembarked from the cruise ship MV Hondius to the South Atlantic island of Tristan da Cunha, where they live, with a suspected case of hantavirus.

Six paratroopers, a Royal Air Force (RAF) consultant and an army nurse from 16 Air Assault Brigade were parachuted to the island, which is normally only accessible by boat, while oxygen supplies and medical aid were also dropped.