Two workers at Frankfurt Airport in Germany have died following a rare malaria outbreak that has infected six employees.
Health officials believe the mosquitoes responsible may have arrived at the airport on an aircraft, leading to the outbreak that was first identified in July.
The airport operator, Fraport, initially confirmed that one employee had died from the infection. However, Frankfurt public health authorities later announced that two of the six affected workers had died.
The outbreak is currently being investigated by the Frankfurt Public Health Department. Authorities have placed mosquito traps around the airport, with captured mosquitoes being sent to laboratories to determine their species and possible origin.
According to health officials, the six infected workers are all men who worked in different roles and areas of the airport. Blood samples are also being examined to establish whether the infections were caused by a single mosquito or multiple mosquitoes.
Despite the deaths, officials have assured residents that the risk to the wider population remains extremely low.
“For the population of Frankfurt, the risk is considered very, very low,” public health officials said, explaining that malaria cannot be transmitted directly from one person to another and is spread through infected mosquitoes.
Laboratory tests to determine the exact source of the outbreak are expected to take several weeks.
The outbreak was first reported in July, when four airport employees were confirmed to have contracted malaria. Germany’s Robert Koch Institute said the workers became ill between July 4 and 6 and had no known travel history to malaria-endemic regions, leading investigators to suspect that infected mosquitoes had been transported into Germany by plane.
Airport-transmitted malaria is considered extremely rare in Germany. The Robert Koch Institute has noted that most malaria cases recorded in the country involve people who contracted the disease while travelling to areas where malaria is common.
The institute has also warned that cases without a travel history can sometimes be diagnosed late, increasing the risk of severe illness.
The last known case of airport-acquired malaria in Germany was also recorded at Frankfurt Airport in 2023.
Malaria is a mosquito-borne disease caused by parasites and is most common in tropical regions. Although it can be prevented and treated, severe cases can become life-threatening.
By:Rachael Djabakie