Thursday, August 27, 2026 - Two Frankfurt Airport workers have died from malaria following a rare outbreak that has infected six employees at Germany’s busiest airport.
The outbreak was first detected in July, with German public
health officials believing the mosquitoes responsible may have arrived at the
airport aboard a plane. A spokesperson for airport operator Fraport confirmed
that an employee had died from the infection, while Frankfurt public health
officials later announced that two of the affected workers had died.
The six infected workers are all men who worked in different
roles and areas of the airport. Authorities are examining blood samples to
determine whether the infections came from a single mosquito or from multiple
mosquitoes.
Mosquito traps have been installed across the airport, with
captured insects being sent to laboratories to establish their species and
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 investigating the
outbreak, while laboratory tests aimed at identifying the precise source of the
infections are expected to take several weeks. Officials have stressed that the
risk to the general population remains extremely low.
“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,” Frankfurt public health officials said in a
letter to media outlets.
The outbreak was initially reported in July when four
airport workers were known to have contracted malaria. The Robert Koch
Institute said the four employees became ill between July 4 and 6 and had no
recent travel history, supporting the theory that the mosquitoes were brought
into Germany by aircraft. Malaria infections in Germany are normally associated
with people who have travelled to countries where the disease is endemic. The
Robert Koch Institute said transmission within a German airport is extremely
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 institute
also noted that the last recorded case of airport-transmitted malaria in
Germany occurred at Frankfurt Airport in 2023.
Malaria is caused by parasites transmitted through the bites
of infected mosquitoes and is predominantly found in tropical regions,
according to the World Health Organization. The disease is both preventable and
curable, but infections can range from mild symptoms to potentially
life-threatening illness.
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