Malaria outbreak at Frankfurt Airport kills two employees in Germany

A rare malaria outbreak at Frankfurt Airport in July has infected six airport employees, two of whom have since died, British broadcaster BBC reports, citing German health authorities.

A representative of airport operator Fraport initially told the BBC that one worker had died, but on August 26 the Frankfurt Public Health Department confirmed that two of the infected employees had lost their lives. The department stressed that the overall risk to Frankfurt's population remains low, since malaria cannot spread from person to person and is transmitted exclusively by mosquitoes.

Mosquitoes likely arrived by plane

Germany's Robert Koch Institute, the federal agency for disease control and public health, said four of the affected workers fell ill between July 4 and 6, and that the mosquitoes most likely reached the airport aboard an incoming flight. The infected employees worked in different areas of the airport and performed different duties, so blood samples are now being analysed to determine whether a single mosquito or several separate insects caused the infections.

Mosquito traps have been placed around the airport, and captured insects will be sent to a laboratory to identify their species and origin, though results are expected only in several weeks. A Fraport spokesperson said staff have been thoroughly briefed on the situation and are being encouraged to see a doctor immediately if any symptoms appear.

Rare, but not unprecedented

The institute noted that malaria cases in Germany almost always involve people who have travelled to countries where the disease is endemic, while infections contracted directly at an airport remain extremely rare. The last such case was recorded in 2023, also in Frankfurt.

The institute warned that when patients have no relevant travel history, diagnosis can be delayed, increasing the risk of a severe disease course. According to the World Health Organization, malaria is spread by specific mosquito species found almost exclusively in tropical regions, and the disease is both preventable and treatable.