Two workers at Germany’s Frankfurt Airport have died after contracting malaria in what health authorities believe is a rare case of transmission by a mosquito brought into the country aboard an aircraft.
Airport operator Fraport said six employees were infected, with two later dying from the disease. The four other workers have reportedly recovered.
Germany’s Robert Koch Institute (RKI) said several employees at the airport fell ill between July 4 and July 6, prompting an investigation into the outbreak.
According to the RKI, the infections are believed to have been caused by an Anopheles mosquito that survived a flight from a malaria-endemic country and transmitted the disease at or near the airport.
Such cases, known as “airport malaria,” are considered extremely rare because malaria transmission in Germany is generally associated with people who have travelled to countries where the disease is common.
Frankfurt health authorities are investigating the incident, while mosquito traps have been installed at the airport. The captured mosquitoes will be genetically analysed by the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp, Belgium, to establish their species and possible origin.
Fraport has advised employees to tell their doctors that they work at Frankfurt Airport and that cases of airport malaria have been reported, in an effort to support early diagnosis and treatment.
The RKI has stressed that early diagnosis and treatment are critical because malaria can cause severe illness and death if not treated promptly.
The last reported case of airport-acquired malaria in Germany was recorded at Frankfurt Airport in 2023.
