One employee of Frankfurt Airport in Germany has died from malaria after six workers were infected in a rare outbreak suspected to be linked to an infected mosquito that arrived on an aircraft from a malaria-endemic region.
The airport operator, Fraport, and Germany’s Robert Koch Institute (RKI) confirmed the cases, with two additional infections reported on Wednesday, bringing the total to six. One of the infected workers has since died, while the other five are receiving medical treatment.
German health authorities suspect the infections may be linked to an imported Anopheles mosquito that travelled to Frankfurt by aircraft, possibly in the cargo hold of a plane in July.
The RKI described the transmission route as a very rare form of “airport malaria”, in which an infected mosquito is unintentionally transported by aircraft or baggage from a malaria-endemic area and subsequently bites people at or around an airport.
There is no indication that the disease is spreading from person to person. The authorities are investigating the source of the infections and examining mosquitoes caught in traps set up around the airport.
Fraport has also advised employees to seek medical attention if they develop malaria-like symptoms and to inform doctors that they work at the airport.
Why the outbreak matters
The Frankfurt incident has attracted attention in Nigeria, where malaria remains a major public health concern.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), Nigeria accounted for about 27 per cent of global malaria cases in 2022, the highest share recorded for any single country. The WHO’s 2024 Nigeria malaria profile estimated that Nigeria recorded 68.1 million malaria cases and 184,700 deaths in 2023.
Across Africa, the burden remains severe, with the WHO estimating that 95 per cent of malaria deaths worldwide occurred in the African Region in 2024.
For Nigerians travelling to Germany, however, the Frankfurt outbreak does not indicate widespread local malaria transmission. “Airport malaria” is considered extremely rare in Germany, and authorities are still investigating precisely how the workers became infected.
Malaria is caused by parasites transmitted through the bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes. Symptoms can include fever, chills, headache, nausea and fatigue, while severe malaria can become life-threatening without prompt diagnosis and treatment.
The Frankfurt cases underscore the rare but recognised possibility that infected mosquitoes can be transported across borders by international air travel, allowing malaria transmission to occur outside areas where the disease is normally endemic.
