An employee of Frankfurt Airport has died following an infection with malaria. "Unfortunately, we must confirm a death resulting from such an infection", an airport spokesperson stated on Wednesday. He expressed "our deepest sympathy" to the relatives. The death was reported to the airport by the responsible health authority. In total, six employees are said to have become infected with so-called "airport malaria" while at work.
The likely cause was an infected mosquito that arrived in Germany on a plane. The first four infections became known in mid-July. According to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), it can be assumed that the infections stem from an Anopheles mosquito imported by air. Hessischer Rundfunk was the first to report on the death on Wednesday.
Normally, malaria occurs in Germany only among long-distance travelers who were infected abroad. According to the RKI, airport malaria is a rare occurrence in this country — the last case was documented in 2023. For those affected, this can mean the illness is diagnosed only at a late stage.
According to the airport, the infected employees are receiving medical treatment. The public health department is monitoring the situation. "We are in regular contact so that any necessary measures can be coordinated at an early stage", the spokesperson said.
Mosquito traps have been set up at the airport. The mosquitoes caught in them are being genetically examined at the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp, Belgium, to determine their origin and species.
According to the airport, all employees at the site were informed and asked to see a doctor if they experience symptoms of illness, and to mention that they work at the airport and that there have been cases of airport malaria there.
