Two workers at Frankfurt Airport have died from malaria in a rare outbreak that has infected six employees at Germany’s busiest airport.
The outbreak was first detected in July, when four airport workers were diagnosed with malaria despite having no recent travel history. German health authorities believe the infections may have been caused by infected mosquitoes that arrived in Germany aboard an aircraft.
Fraport, the airport operator, confirmed that one employee had died, while Frankfurt’s Public Health Department later reported that a second affected worker had also died.
All six infected workers are men who worked in different roles and areas of the airport. Authorities are analysing blood samples to determine whether the infections were linked to a single mosquito or multiple mosquitoes.
Mosquito traps have been placed throughout the airport, with captured insects being sent to laboratories to identify their species and determine their possible origin.
“We have provided comprehensive information to all employees and encourage them to consult a doctor if they experience any symptoms,” a Fraport spokesperson said.
The Frankfurt Public Health Department is leading the investigation, while laboratory tests to establish the source of the infections are expected to take several weeks.
Officials have stressed that the risk to the wider public remains extremely low because malaria is not transmitted directly from person to person.
“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,” the Frankfurt health authorities said in a letter to media organisations.
The Robert Koch Institute said the four workers initially identified as infected became ill between July 4 and 6. Their lack of recent travel to malaria-endemic regions has strengthened the theory that infected mosquitoes may have entered Germany on aircraft.
Malaria cases in Germany are generally linked to international travel, making local transmission at an airport highly unusual. The Robert Koch Institute said the last known case of airport-transmitted malaria in Germany was recorded at Frankfurt Airport in 2023.
The institute has warned that the absence of a travel history can make malaria more difficult to identify, potentially delaying treatment and increasing the risk of severe illness.
Malaria is caused by parasites transmitted through the bites of infected mosquitoes. According to the World Health Organization, the disease is most common in tropical regions. It is preventable and curable, but some infections can become severe or life-threatening.
