Frankfurt reports third malaria death in airport-linked outbreak

September 17, 2026 11:12 AM EDT

FRANKFURT, Sept 17 (Reuters) - ‌A third ​person ​has died from malaria around Frankfurt Airport in what German officials ‌have described as an extremely rare air-traffic-related ⁠outbreak of the tropical disease.

In a statement on Thursday, ‌the city of Frankfurt ‌said one of two infected residents of the Schwanheim district north of the airport had died ​in the care of the city's university hospital.

"Both individuals had become infected with the ⁠malaria-causing parasite Plasmodium falciparum, even though they had not travelled ​to a malaria-endemic region and had not worked at the airport," the statement ​said.

On August 27, city ‌officials said that two people working at the airport had died ⁠of malaria, and that four more had recovered from infections.

The malaria parasite is spread between humans by ⁠some types of mosquito, but people cannot infect each ​other directly.

Frankfurt airport said mosquitoes caught in traps had been sent to a laboratory in Antwerp in ‌Belgium in July and August, but results were not available yet.

An ‌airport spokesperson said local public health authorities ⁠had the power in principle ‌to order airlines ​to disinfect aircraft.

(Reporting by Ludwig Burger and Ilona Wissenbach; Editing by Kevin ‌Liffey)



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