Frankfurt reports third malaria death in airport-linked outbreak

FRANKFURT - A third person has died from malaria around Frankfurt Airport in what German officials have described as an extremely rare air-traffic-related outbreak of the tropical disease.

In a statement on Sept 17, the city of Frankfurt said one of two infected residents of the Schwanheim district north of the airport had died in the care of the city’s university hospital.

“Both individuals had become infected with the malaria-causing parasite Plasmodium falciparum, even though they had not travelled to a malaria-endemic region and had not worked at the airport,” the statement said.

On Aug 27, city officials said that two people working at the airport had died of malaria, and that four more had recovered from infections.

The malaria parasite is spread between humans by some types of mosquito, but people cannot infect each other directly.

Frankfurt airport said mosquitoes caught in traps had been sent to a laboratory in Antwerp in Belgium in July and August, but results were not available yet.

An airport spokesperson said the local public health authorities had the power in principle to order airlines to disinfect aircraft. REUTERS