A Frankfurt Airport worker has died of malaria after a rare outbreak led to six employees contracting the serious infection spread by mosquitoes.
It is believed the mosquitoes arrived at Germany’s busiest airport on a plane, according to German public health officials.
The remaining five infected individuals are receiving medical treatment, a spokesperson for airport operator Fraport said.
Traps have been installed at the airport and mosquitoes captured will be analysed in a laboratory to determine their species and origin.
“Sadly, we must confirm that one employee has died as a result of the infection,” the Fraport spokesperson told the BBC.
“We have provided comprehensive information to all employees and encourage them to consult a doctor if they experience any symptoms.”
It was reported in July that the outbreak involved four infected workers.
The Robert Koch Institute – a German federal government agency and research institute for disease control and public health – previously said the four employees fell ill between 4 and 6 July and the mosquitoes were brought in by plane.
The institute said malaria in Germany almost exclusively affects long-haul travellers who were infected in malaria-endemic areas, and that malaria transmitted within a German airport is rare.
“The lack of a travel history can lead to a delayed diagnosis. A delayed diagnosis increases the risk of a severe course of the diseases,” the institute said in its epidemiological bulletin.
The last case of airport malaria was in 2023 also at Frankfurt Airport, it added.
Credit: bbc.com
