A worker at Frankfurt Airport has died after contracting malaria, part of a rare outbreak that has seen six employees infected. Five other individuals are currently receiving medical treatment for the serious infection.
German public health officials believe the mosquitoes responsible for spreading the disease arrived at Germany's busiest airport on a plane. The airport operator, Fraport, confirmed the death and that comprehensive information has been provided to all employees, encouraging them to seek medical advice if they experience symptoms.
Traps have been installed at the airport, and captured mosquitoes will be analysed in a laboratory to determine their species and origin. The Robert Koch Institute, a German public health agency, previously reported that four employees fell ill between 4 and 6 July, noting that malaria transmitted within a German airport is rare, typically affecting long-haul travellers.
The institute highlighted that a lack of travel history can lead to delayed diagnosis, increasing the risk of a severe course of the disease. The last recorded case of airport malaria was in 2023, also at Frankfurt Airport. Malaria is a preventable and curable disease spread by mosquito bites, primarily found in tropical countries, according to the World Health Organization.