Add The New York Post on Google Two workers at Germany’s busiest airport have died of malaria amid an outbreak in the travel hub believed to be caused by mosquitoes that arrived on a plane.
Two Frankfurt Airport workers died after contracting the illness transmitted by mosquitoes, a spokesperson for Fraport, which operates the airport, told the BBC late Wednesday.
The pair of workers, who have not yet been identified, were sickened in a rare outbreak first detected in July, according to the airport.
A total of six male airport employees in different jobs and areas of the airport were infected with malaria in the outbreak, the outlet reported.
The four other employees have since recovered from malaria, German outlet Der Spiegel reported.
Officials believe that the mosquitoes arrived at the bustling airport on a plane — and are now rushing to determine whether a single mosquito or multiple spread malaria to the workers.
In mid-July, the Robert Koch Institute, Germany’s national public health institute, wrote in a bulletin that four airport employees fell ill with malaria between July 4 and July 6.
The malaria is assumed to have spread via an infected Anopheles mosquito — also known as a Marsh mosquito — on a plane, the institute wrote.
In Germany, malaria “almost exclusively affects long-distance travelers” who were infected by a mosquito bite in a malaria transmission area.
Airport malaria is rare, and the absence of a travel history in patients can lead to a delayed diagnosis. The last German case of airport malaria was documented at the Frankfurt Airport in 2023, the institute added.
“We have provided comprehensive information to all employees and encourage them to consult a doctor if they experience any symptoms,” the Fraport spokesperson told the BBC.
Traps have been placed throughout the travel hub, and mosquitoes that are caught will be analyzed in a laboratory to determine their species and origin.
Malaria can cause mild or life-threatening symptoms.
Mild symptoms include fever, chills, and headache. Severe symptoms escalate to fatigue, confusion, and difficulty breathing, according to the World Health Organization.
The disease, most common in tropical countries, typically spreads through bites of infected Anopheles mosquitoes. In some cases, it can be transmitted from person to person.
Fraport did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.
