It is believed that the cause of the infections was a mosquito that traveled by plane from an area where malaria is endemic to Germany, probably in July. An employee at Frankfurt Airport died after contracting malaria, a spokesperson for Fraport, the company operating the airport, said on Wednesday.
It is believed that the cause of the infections was a mosquito that traveled by plane from an area where malaria is endemic to Germany, probably in July.
An employee at Frankfurt Airport died after contracting malaria, a spokesperson for Fraport, the company operating the facility, said on Wednesday.
Five other airport employees have also contracted the infectious disease and are receiving medical treatment.
It is believed that the cause of the infections was a mosquito that traveled by plane from an area where malaria is endemic to Germany, probably in July.
Fraport says its focus is now on information and prevention. Employees are being advised to consult a doctor if they develop any symptoms resembling malaria and to inform healthcare professionals that they work at the airport.
Mosquito traps have also been installed at the airport, with the aim of capturing the insects so that they can be taken to a laboratory for analysis.
Rare transmission
The federal agency for disease control and prevention, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), said that such cases are “very rare.”
Malaria is transmitted to humans by mosquitoes of the Anopheles genus if they have previously been infected.
The RKI states that there are several Anopheles species in Germany that can transmit the pathogens that cause malaria under suitable environmental conditions, but such cases have been extremely rare.
According to the Frankfurt Health Department, so-called “airport malaria” is a very rare route of transmission outside a malaria-endemic area.
“Person-to-person transmission plays no role in ‘airport malaria,’” a spokesperson said.
A study that aimed to record all cases of malaria transmitted at airports and through luggage in Europe between 1969 and 2024 identified a total of 145 cases, nine of which occurred in Germany.
Malaria can be fatal and, according to the World Health Organization, symptoms include fever, headaches, breathing difficulties, and seizures.
“The disease can lead to coma and death, especially among high-risk groups,” Germany’s Federal Foreign Office said.
Protection against mosquito bites can help prevent the spread of the disease.
