A British soldier parachuted onto a remote island in the South Atlantic on Thursday to deliver urgent medical supplies to a community affected by an outbreak of hantavirus, a deadly rodent-borne disease. The mission, conducted by the Royal Air Force, involved a high-altitude drop onto Gough Island, a British overseas territory more than 1,500 miles from the nearest mainland. The soldier, whose name has not been released for operational security, landed safely and delivered a consignment of antiviral drugs and protective equipment to the island's research station.
Hantavirus has claimed four lives on the island in recent weeks, prompting the Ministry of Defence to authorise the operation. The mission was completed without incident, and the soldier is expected to be extracted by helicopter within 48 hours.
