A worker at Frankfurt Airport has died from malaria after a rare outbreak infected six employees, according to airport operator Fraport. The serious infection is believed to have been spread by mosquitoes that arrived at Germany's busiest airport on a plane.
Five other infected individuals are currently receiving medical treatment, a Fraport spokesperson confirmed. The company has provided information to all employees, advising them to seek medical consultation if they develop any symptoms.
Traps have been deployed throughout the airport to capture mosquitoes for species and origin analysis. This incident marks a rare occurrence of malaria transmission within a German airport. The Robert Koch Institute, a federal agency for disease control, noted that malaria in Germany typically affects long-haul travelers infected in endemic regions.
The institute also stated that a lack of travel history in infected individuals can lead to delayed diagnoses, increasing the risk of severe illness. The last reported case of airport malaria was also at Frankfurt Airport in 2023.
Malaria is caused by a parasite and spread through the bite of infected mosquitoes. While preventable and curable, the World Health Organization (WHO) classifies it as a disease that can range from mild to life-threatening. It does not spread from person to person.