Malaria outbreak linked to Frankfurt airport claims third life

Malaria outbreak linked to Frankfurt Airport claims third life
Eight people infected since late August including six airport employees
Two new cases involved residents who had not travelled to malaria areas
Authorities believe mosquitoes arrived on aircraft
Fraport has set up specialised traps

An extremely rare air travel related malaria outbreak linked to Frankfurt Airport has claimed its third life after a local resident succumbed to the disease. The City of Frankfurt Health Department confirmed that the latest victim was one of two infected residents from the Schwanheim district, a neighbourhood bordering the north side of Frankfurt Airport. The individual died while receiving care at the Frankfurt University Hospital.

The first two fatalities revealed on 27 August were airport employees. Four other airport workers contracted the disease but have since recovered. The third and latest death marks a shift as neither of the two newly infected Schwanheim residents had worked at the airport or travelled to a malaria endemic region. All victims were infected with Plasmodium falciparum, the deadliest form of the malaria parasite.

This phenomenon is known as airport malaria. According to the Robert Koch Institute, an exotic infected Anopheles mosquito was likely transported to Germany inside an aircraft or luggage. Because these mosquitoes can fly between 5 to 10 kilometres the parasite managed to spread from the airport grounds into the neighbouring residential district. The airport operator Fraport has set up specialised traps. Local medical professionals have been instructed to screen for malaria if patients present a fever even if they have no recent history of tropical travel.