British Healthcare Worker Flown to London After Showing Hantavirus Symptoms

A medical professional stationed on a remote British overseas territory in the Atlantic Ocean has been evacuated to London for treatment after showing signs of the deadly hantavirus. This comes amid a growing outbreak linked to a Dutch cruise ship, where three people have already died.

Medical Worker Evacuated From Remote Atlantic Island

A British healthcare worker stationed on a remote UK overseas territory deep in the Atlantic Ocean has been admitted to a London hospital. The person showed symptoms consistent with hantavirus, a dangerous and potentially fatal infection. Health authorities confirmed the evacuation after it became clear the island had no specialist infectious disease facility. There was simply no other option the worker had to be flown out.

The island of Ascension, where the medical professional was based, lacks the infrastructure needed to treat such a serious infection. Authorities acted fast and arranged the transfer to London for proper medical care.

Nine At-Risk British Nationals Set to Arrive

Beyond the evacuated healthcare worker, nine British nationals who had been identified as close contacts though showing no symptoms were expected to arrive back in the UK on Sunday evening. Health officials are monitoring them closely as a precaution. None of them had developed visible signs of the virus at the time of the report.

Deadly Outbreak Traced to Dutch Cruise Ship MV Hondius

The hantavirus scare can be traced back to a disturbing outbreak aboard the Dutch cruise ship MV Hondius. The vessel was sailing from Argentina toward Cabo Verde when the crisis unfolded a route that took it through some of the most remote stretches of the South Atlantic.

Three people died as a result of the outbreak. The ship eventually docked near the Canary Islands on May 10, and all passengers were evacuated from the vessel. The World Health Organization confirmed on May 12 that 11 hantavirus cases had been identified in total. Of those, nine were confirmed to involve the Andes virus strain one of the most severe variants of hantavirus known to science.