Two people have died after contracting malaria at Frankfurt Airport. The health office of the Hessian city confirmed the second death on Wednesday, after the airport had previously reported the death of one of its employees. An airport spokesman offered relatives "our deepest sympathy." A total of six members of staff were infected at work with what is known as airport malaria.
The likely cause was an infected mosquito that arrived in Germany aboard an aircraft. The first four infections came to light in mid-July. According to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), it can be assumed that the infections originated from an Anopheles mosquito imported by air.
Malaria normally occurs in Germany only in long-haul travellers who became infected abroad. Airport malaria is a rare event in this country, the RKI says, with the most recent case documented in 2023. For those affected, that can mean the illness is not diagnosed until a late stage.
According to the airport, the infected employees are receiving medical care. The health office is monitoring the situation. "We are in regular contact so that any necessary measures can be coordinated at an early stage," the spokesman said. Mosquito traps have been installed at the airport. The insects caught in them are being examined genetically at the tropical institute in Antwerp, Belgium, in order to determine their origin and species. The disease cannot be transmitted from person to person.
The airport says it has informed everyone working at the site and asked them to see a doctor if they develop symptoms, and to point out that they work at the airport and that cases of airport malaria have occurred there.
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