Hantavirus may have spread to one of the most remote inhabited islands on Earth with just 220 residents

A new suspected case of hantavirus was found on the tiny Atlantic island of Tristan da Cunha — one of the most remote inhabited places on Earth with only 220 permanent residents.

On Friday, British authorities confirmed that a local islander of Tristan da Cunha — where the MV Hondius made its first scheduled stop on April 15 — was being treated for a suspected case of the rodent-borne virus, NBC News reported. 

Tristan da Cunha, a British Overseas Territory, is situated halfway between South Africa and South America.

It is the world’s remotest inhabited island — located a staggering 1,500 miles away and a six-day boat ride from its nearest inhabited neighbor, St Helena. 

After the cruise ship arrived in Tristan de Cunha, four island residents hitched a ride on the ship to St. Helena, Stephen Dougherty, the UK’s minister for overseas tourism said in a letter to the island’s administration.

The suspected patient was confirmed to be one of the islanders onboard the ship to St. Helena and their spouse is currently isolating, Dougherty and the UK Health Security Agency confirmed. 

Two additional British nationals have been confirmed to have the virus, the agency added.

Across the world, Spanish authorities also confirmed Friday that a woman is being treated in hospital for a suspected infection after coming into contact with one of the infected passengers who died from the virus.

The Spanish Health Ministry said that a 32-year-old woman has “mild respiratory symptoms” and is being transported to the hospital where she will be tested for the virus. Results are expected to be ready in 24 to 48 hours.

The woman “was sitting two rows behind the person who died from hantavirus” but the contact was “brief” as they were only “on board for a short time,” Javier Padilla, Spain’s Secretary of State for Health said at a news conference Friday.

Other passengers onboard the flight, including a KLM flight attendant, developed potential symptoms of the virus but later tested negative, Padilla said. 

As of Friday, there have been three deaths, five confirmed cases, and several suspected cases linked to the hantavirus outbreak from the cruise ship. 

With Post wires