Two Frankfurt Airport Workers Die After Contracting Malaria From Imported Mosquito

Frankfurt, Germany — Two workers at Germany's Frankfurt Airport have died after contracting malaria in what health authorities believe is a rare case linked to an infected mosquito transported into the country aboard an aircraft.

Frankfurt's health authority confirmed the deaths on Wednesday after airport officials initially reported that one employee had died and six workers had been infected.

Germany's Robert Koch Institute (RKI) said an imported Anopheles mosquito carried into the airport by an aircraft was the likely source of the infections.

Five Workers Under Treatment

An airport spokesman said the remaining five infected employees are receiving medical treatment, with four of them being treated in hospital.

Authorities have installed mosquito traps across the airport as part of efforts to determine whether additional mosquitoes carrying malaria parasites are present.

The mosquitoes captured through the surveillance operation will be sent to the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp, Belgium, for genetic testing.

The tests are expected to help researchers determine the mosquitoes' origins and establish more details about how they entered the airport environment.

Rare Airport-Linked Malaria Cases

According to the RKI, Germany last recorded an airport-based malaria outbreak in 2023.

Such cases are extremely uncommon in Germany, where malaria is not normally transmitted locally. The disease is primarily associated with tropical and subtropical regions where Anopheles mosquitoes are established.

The rarity of locally acquired malaria in Germany can also make diagnosis more difficult, as doctors may not immediately suspect the disease. Delayed diagnosis can increase the risk of severe illness.

How Malaria Spreads

Malaria is caused by parasites transmitted through the bites of infected Anopheles mosquitoes.

Symptoms can include severe fever and chills, headaches and nausea. In serious cases, the disease can become life-threatening if treatment is delayed.

People who receive prompt diagnosis and appropriate treatment generally make a full recovery.

The disease remains a major global health threat, however, causing hundreds of thousands of deaths each year, with the overwhelming majority occurring in sub-Saharan Africa.

Authorities Monitor Airport

The discovery of a possible imported mosquito has prompted additional monitoring at Frankfurt Airport, one of Europe's busiest international aviation hubs.

Health authorities and airport officials are using traps and laboratory testing to monitor mosquito activity and establish whether the insects responsible for the infections can be traced to a particular aircraft or location.

The investigation is continuing as health officials seek to understand how an infected mosquito could have survived transport and subsequently infected airport workers.

Authorities have not indicated that the incident poses a wider malaria transmission risk to the German public, but surveillance measures remain in place while the investigation continues.