A worker at Frankfurt Airport in Germany has died from malaria after a rare outbreak linked to the airport infected six employees, including the deceased.
The airport operator, Fraport, confirmed the death on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, saying five other employees who contracted the disease are receiving medical treatment.
Health authorities believe the infections may have been caused by an infected mosquito that arrived at the airport aboard an aircraft from a malaria-endemic region, likely in July. The cases are being investigated as a rare form of transmission known as “airport malaria.”
The affected workers are understood to have been airport employees, with reports indicating that the first cases were detected in early July. The outbreak is unusual because malaria is not normally transmitted locally in Germany and most cases recorded in the country are associated with travel to malaria-endemic regions.
Fraport said it has advised employees to seek medical attention if they develop symptoms associated with malaria and to inform doctors that they work at the airport.
The airport has also installed mosquito traps, with captured insects being sent to laboratories for analysis. The tests are expected to help authorities determine the species of mosquito involved and establish whether it originated from a malaria-endemic region.
The Robert Koch Institute, Germany’s federal disease-control agency, has identified an imported Anopheles mosquito carried on an aircraft as the likely source of the infections. Airport malaria occurs when an infected mosquito is transported from a malaria-endemic area into a region where the disease is not normally transmitted.
Authorities are continuing to monitor the situation, while the airport has stepped up preventive measures and provided health information to staff.
The incident is not the first reported case of airport malaria in Frankfurt. A similar outbreak was recorded at the airport in 2023, according to reports citing the Robert Koch Institute.
Malaria is transmitted through the bite of infected Anopheles mosquitoes. Symptoms can include fever, chills, headache, nausea and fatigue, while severe infections can become life-threatening if not treated promptly.
