Three Dead in Rare ‘Airport Malaria’ Outbreak Near Frankfurt Airport

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Three people have died from malaria in the Frankfurt airport area in an extremely rare outbreak involving people who had not travelled to regions where the disease is normally found.

German authorities are investigating the cases, which have been linked to what is known as “airport malaria”, a rare form of transmission in which an infected mosquito is transported by aircraft from a malaria endemic region into an area where the disease does not normally occur.

The latest death was reported by the city of Frankfurt after one of two residents infected in the Schwanheim district, north of Frankfurt Airport, died while receiving treatment at the city’s university hospital.

Authorities said both patients had been infected with Plasmodium falciparum, the parasite responsible for the most severe form of malaria.

Neither patient had travelled to a malaria endemic country or worked at Frankfurt Airport, according to the authorities.

The latest death follows the deaths of two airport workers reported by local officials on August 27. Four other airport workers who became infected reportedly recovered.

Mosquitoes tested in Antwerp

Frankfurt Airport said mosquitoes captured in traps during July and August had been sent to a laboratory in Antwerp for analysis.

The results were still pending, according to an airport spokesperson.

Local health authorities also have powers to order airlines to disinfect aircraft if necessary.

Airport malaria occurs when an infected mosquito survives a flight from a malaria endemic region and subsequently bites people after the aircraft reaches an area where malaria is not normally transmitted.

The disease itself is not spread directly from person to person. It is transmitted through the bites of certain mosquito species carrying malaria parasites.

Doctors urged to consider malaria

Health authorities have urged doctors in the Frankfurt area to consider malaria when patients present with unexplained high fever, even when they have no history of international travel.

The warning is particularly relevant to airport workers and people living in neighbourhoods surrounding the airport.

Typical malaria symptoms can include high fever, chills, headache and nausea. Severe malaria can become life threatening without prompt treatment.

Although malaria causes hundreds of thousands of deaths globally each year, particularly in sub Saharan Africa, effective treatments are available and people who receive timely medical care generally have a good chance of recovery.

Germany last recorded an outbreak of airport malaria in 2023, according to the Robert Koch Institute.

Because locally acquired malaria is extremely uncommon in Germany, doctors may not immediately suspect the disease in patients who have not travelled abroad. This can potentially delay diagnosis and treatment.

The investigation into the Frankfurt cases is continuing, with authorities awaiting the results of mosquito testing to help determine how the infections occurred.

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