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An employee at 
Frankfurt Airport (FRA) in Germany has sadly died after contracting Malaria amid a wider outbreak of the disease at the facility. The infectious disease is known for being transmitted by mosquito bites, with the offending animals thought to have arrived in Germany by plane. The outbreak was first reported last month, and, at the time, it was thought that four employees had been affected.
It has since emerged that there are at least two more cases, and, alongside the deceased employee, the remaining five workers are receiving medical treatment. Airports are tightly regulated environments, especially when it comes to the handling of animals. However, this recent outbreak shows that outbreaks can still slip through the net, with Frankfurt Airport now working to contain the situation.
One Dead After Malaria Outbreak At Frankfurt Airport
According to reporting on the matter by the BBC, the employee’s death was confirmed by a spokesperson for Fraport AG, the company that owns and operates Frankfurt Airport and also previously used to manage Frankfurt Hahn Airport (HHN). Citing the Robert Koch Institute, the publication added that the outbreak dates back almost two months, with the first four workers falling ill between July 4 and 6.
Since then, as reported by FTN News, the number of known cases of malaria that have arisen as a result of this outbreak has increased to six, including the employee who has sadly died as a result of the disease. Frankfurt Airport is now taking proactive steps to prevent further spread by encouraging its workers to seek medical attention upon the appearance of any symptoms. A spokesperson for Fraport AG said:
“Sadly, we must confirm that one employee has died as a result of the infection. We have provided comprehensive information to all employees and encourage them to consult a doctor if they experience any symptoms.”
Frankfurt Has Experienced ‘Airport Malaria’ Before
While it is thought and accepted that the mosquitoes that sparked the outbreak will have arrived at Frankfurt Airport by plane, the case is still full of unknown factors. With this in mind, and in order to gain a better understanding of the situation at hand, the airport has set traps on its premises. These, the BBC says, will allow laboratory workers to examine any captured mosquitoes and ascertain their origins.
Given the number of passengers and staff constantly moving back and forth, particularly in large hubs like Frankfurt, airports are places where diseases can spread quickly if uncontained. Key contributing factors on this front are crowded spaces and high-touch surfaces. The fact that guests flying across the world carry new and different germs with them was also a key factor in aviation’s COVID-19 shutdown.
While rare, ‘airport malaria’ is a documented phenomenon, with Euronews saying that, according to the Frankfurt Health Department, it is not driven by human-to-human transmission. The publication cites a study noting that 145 cases of airport and baggage-borne malaria were identified between 1969 and 2024. According to the BBC, Frankfurt Airport’s last prior malaria outbreak took place back in 2023.
Frankfurt Is The Busiest Airport In Germany
Despite Berlin being the nation’s capital, Frankfurt has long been Germany’s main hub as far as commercial aviation is concerned. This month, scheduling data from Cirium, an aviation analytics company, shows that a grand total of 19,306 flights have been planned out of the Hessen hub. This puts it comfortably ahead of 
Munich Airport (MUC) in Bavaria, which ranks second with a total of 14,274 flights.
German flag carrier and Star Alliance founding member Lufthansa is naturally the largest operator at the airport, accounting for some 9,393 of August’s 19,306 departures. This equates to a whopping 303 a day on average. The busiest route out of Frankfurt is the domestic link to the aforementioned Munich Airport, with 476 rotations this month. These are split between Lufthansa, Condor, and Discover Airlines.
