Frankfurt reports third malaria death in airport-linked outbreak
Health officials say 6 people have fallen ill since July, and two cases have been fatal, as they investigate a possible link to infected mosquitoes.
- On Thursday, Frankfurt public health authorities confirmed two new malaria cases in the Schwanheim district, bringing the total to six since July. Patients lived near Frankfurt Airport, likely infected by mosquitoes transported on aircraft.
- Known as "airport malaria," this rare transmission occurs when infected mosquitoes travel on flights from endemic regions. The Robert Koch Institute notes such cases are notable exceptions to typical infection profiles in Germany, where more than 99 per cent of cases are imported.
- Early symptoms often mimic flu or stomach infections, potentially delaying diagnosis. Frankfurt am Main officials urged doctors to "consider the possibility of malaria in patients presenting with unexplained fever," even for residents without recent travel to endemic areas.
- Two of the recorded cases have proved fatal, prompting city officials to issue a health warning. The public health authority established a hotline for residents seeking information, emphasizing the disease is not contagious from person to person.
- To mitigate risks, the Federal Foreign Office recommends using repellents containing DEET or icaridin alongside wearing long clothing. Health authorities continue investigating whether the cluster is definitively linked to mosquitoes transported on flight routes.
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A third person has died of malaria in Frankfurt, with the infection linked to air travel. The latest victim lived in Schwanheim near Frankfurt Airport, but did not work there and had not traveled to an area where malaria is common before falling ill. Health authorities therefore assume that he was infected by a mosquito that arrived in Germany by plane. Six employees of the Fraport airport operator also fell ill with malaria over the summer, two…
Another person has died of malaria in Germany. It is the third malaria death in a short period of time. In July and August, two employees of Frankfurt Airport succumbed to the disease. Earlier this week, malaria was diagnosed in two people, also in Frankfurt. One of them has now died. Neither person worked at the airport and had not been to a country where the disease is common. The deceased did, however, live near the international airport, i…
German authorities are reporting an extremely rare outbreak of the tropical disease linked to air travel. The post Germany: Third malaria death in the Frankfurt area appeared first on in.gr.
On August 27, local officials reported that two airport workers died of malaria while four others fell ill but recovered - "Airport malaria" had also appeared in 2023
In Frankfurt, a third case of malaria death is reported, the outbreak is linked to the airport Three people died of malaria near Frankfurt airport, although they did not travel to the areas of its spread<p>. The cause of the outbreak is being clarified.</p>
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