German Airport Workers Die Of Malaria Linked To Plane

Two workers at Germany’s Frankfurt Airport have died after contracting malaria linked to an imported mosquito, health authorities said. Airport officials had earlier reported one death and six infections among workers.

Germany’s Robert Koch Institute (RKI) said an Anopheles mosquito likely arrived at the airport on an aircraft and caused the infections.

According to an airport spokesman, the other four infected workers are receiving treatment in hospital. Authorities have installed mosquito traps at the airport as they investigate the outbreak.

German Airport Workers Die Of Malaria Linked To Plane (NewsCentral TV) — German airport workers die of malaria from mosquito on plane. Credit: Al Jazeera.

The Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp, Belgium, will analyse malaria parasites found in blood samples from the affected workers.

The RKI said Germany last recorded an airport-based malaria outbreak in 2023.

Authorities said malaria can be difficult to diagnose because cases are rare in Germany, increasing the risk of severe illness when treatment is delayed.

Malaria is caused by parasites transmitted through Anopheles mosquitoes. Symptoms can include nausea, headaches, fever and chills.

The disease kills hundreds of thousands of people each year, mostly in sub-Saharan Africa. Effective treatments are available, and people diagnosed early usually recover fully.

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