A third person has died from malaria in Frankfurt, marking a rare outbreak linked to mosquitoes arriving at the airport via aircraft or luggage.

A resident of the Schwanheim district in Frankfurt has died from malaria, marking the third fatality in a cluster of cases associated with Frankfurt Airport. While malaria is typically contracted by travelers abroad, health authorities have confirmed these infections were caused by infected mosquitoes transported to Germany via air travel. The latest victim was one of two individuals in the district who tested positive for the disease earlier this week.

Details of the Local Outbreak

The two most recent cases in Schwanheim were identified on Tuesday, involving residents who had neither traveled to malaria-endemic regions nor worked at the airport. According to the Robert Koch Institute, malaria-carrying mosquitoes can travel between 5 and 10 kilometers, and these infections occurred approximately 5 kilometers from the airport facility. The individuals were infected with Plasmodium falciparum, the parasite responsible for malaria tropica, which is considered the most dangerous form of the disease. Prior to these cases, six airport employees contracted the disease between July and August, resulting in two deaths. Health officials have urged both airport staff and local residents to seek immediate medical attention if they experience symptoms such as fever, chills, headaches, confusion, seizures, or breathing difficulties.

Containment and Investigation Efforts

Frankfurt health authorities and the airport operator, Fraport, have implemented measures to monitor and control the mosquito population. Mosquito traps have been installed at the airport, and captured insects have been sent to the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp for genetic analysis to determine their species and origin. While results from these tests are pending, authorities have advised local doctors to consider malaria as a potential diagnosis for patients presenting with fever. Although the Robert Koch Institute describes such air-traffic-related outbreaks as extremely rare, with the last documented case at the airport occurring in 2023, officials maintain that the risk remains. An airport spokesperson noted that public health authorities have the authority to mandate the disinfection of aircraft if deemed necessary.