Two airport workers die of malaria from mosquito on plane in Germany

Two workers at Frankfurt Airport have died from malaria, with officials suspecting the disease was transmitted by a mosquito that arrived on an aircraft. Six employees were initially infected, and the Robert Koch Institute identified an imported Anopheles mosquito as the likely cause.

The other four infected workers are receiving hospital treatment. Airport officials have installed traps to capture and analyze mosquitoes, aiming to determine their species and origin. Comprehensive information has been provided to all employees, urging them to seek medical attention if symptoms arise.

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We have provided comprehensive information to all employees and encourage them to consult a doctor if they experience any symptoms.

Malaria is rare in Germany, with the last airport-based outbreak occurring in 2023. The Robert Koch Institute notes that delayed diagnosis can increase the severity of symptoms. Typically, malaria in Germany affects long-haul travelers infected in endemic areas, making transmission within a German airport an unusual event.

Public health officials in Frankfurt have stated that the risk to the general population is "very, very low" as the disease is transmitted by mosquitoes, not from person to person. Laboratory tests to pinpoint the exact source of the infections are expected to take several weeks, while the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp will analyze blood samples for malaria parasites.

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For the population of Frankfurt, the risk is considered very, very low. The disease is not transmissible from person to person but is always transmitted by mosquitoes.