Mosquitoes

By Sabiu Abdullahi

Two workers at Frankfurt Airport in Germany have died after contracting malaria from a mosquito believed to have arrived on an incoming aircraft, according to health authorities in Frankfurt.

The number of deaths rose to two on Wednesday after airport officials initially confirmed that one of six infected employees had died.

Germany’s Robert Koch Institute (RKI) identified an imported Anopheles mosquito, which was likely transported into the country on an aircraft, as the most probable source of the infections.

The four other affected airport workers are receiving treatment in hospital, an airport spokesman said. Authorities have also placed mosquito traps around the airport as part of efforts to identify the insects responsible for the outbreak.

Mosquitoes captured through the traps will be sent to the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp, Belgium, where genetic testing will be conducted to establish more information about their origin.

Malaria is uncommon in Germany, and the RKI said the country last recorded an airport-related malaria outbreak in 2023.

However, the institute warned that the rarity of the disease in Germany can make diagnosis more difficult because doctors may not immediately consider malaria when assessing patients. Delayed diagnosis can increase the risk of severe illness.

Malaria is a potentially serious infectious disease caused by microscopic parasites and transmitted through the bites of Anopheles mosquitoes. Common symptoms include headaches, nausea, fever and intense chills.

The disease remains a major public health concern worldwide and causes hundreds of thousands of deaths each year, with sub-Saharan Africa carrying the greatest burden.

Medical treatment is available for malaria, and patients who receive appropriate care early can usually make a full recovery.