German health officials are seeking to reassure the public after two workers at Frankfurt Airport died of malaria. Since last month, six people are known to have caught malaria tropica, the most dangerous form of the disease, in connection with their work at the airport.
One of the deceased began feeling ill in early July, and the other in mid-August. The four other infected individuals have been treated in hospital and are now out of danger, according to Frankfurt's public health department.
Mosquito traps have been installed at Frankfurt Airport, and a mosquito monitoring process is underway. A detailed investigation is being conducted to clarify how the workers contracted the disease. The Robert Koch Institute, responsible for disease control in Germany, believes the infection was transmitted by an Anopheles stephensi mosquito imported by plane.
Letters have been sent to all airport workers to raise awareness of symptoms and urge vigilance. Doctors are also being warned to watch for patients with unexplained fever who work in or around the airport. The health department noted that human-to-human transmission is not possible.