German airport workers die from malaria caught from plane-riding mosquito - Al Jazeera
Two airport workers in Frankfurt have died after contracting malaria from a mosquito believed to have arrived on an international flight. Health authorities are investigating the incident, which is rare for the region, and have deployed traps to prevent further spread.
Why it matters
This incident highlights the potential for global travel to facilitate the spread of tropical diseases into non-endemic regions, posing new public health challenges.
Four infected employees being treated in hospital; mosquito traps deployed at Frankfurt hub.
x whatsapp-stroke copylink google Add Al Jazeera on Google info The Anopheles funestus mosquito is a known vector for malaria [File: AP] By AFP Published On 26 Aug 2026 26 Aug 2026 Two Frankfurt airport workers have died after contracting malaria from a mosquito believed to have hitched a ride on an incoming flight, according to the city’s health authority.
Airport officials had initially reported one death among six infected employees. The toll rose to two on Wednesday.
Germany’s Robert Koch Institute (RKI) points to an imported Anopheles mosquito, likely carried in on an aircraft, as the most likely source of the infection.
Malaria cases are rare in Germany. The RKI says the country’s last airport-linked malaria outbreak was in 2023.
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