German airport workers die from malaria caught from plane-riding mosquito

Share German airport workers die from Malaria caught from plane-riding mosquito on social media Add Al Jazeera on Google The Anopheles-funestus" class="entity-link entity-topic" data-entity-id="194028" data-entity-type="topic">Anopheles funestus mosquito is a known vector for Malaria [File: AP] By AFP Published On 26 Aug 202626 Aug 2026 Two Frankfurt airport workers have died after contracting Malaria from a mosquito believed to have hitched a ride on an incoming flight, according to the city’s health authority. Airport officials had initially reported one death among six infected employees. The toll rose to two on Wednesday. Recommended Stories list of 3 items list 1 of 3Australia warns H5N1 likely to spread after first mass mortality episode list 2 of 3More than 16,000 doses of Ervebo vaccine arrive in Ebola-hit DR Congo list 3 of 3How the deadliest Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak can be stopped end of list Germany’s Robert Koch Institute (RKI) points to an imported Anopheles mosquito, likely carried in on an aircraft, as the most likely source of the infection. Malaria cases are rare in Germany. The RKI says the country’s last airport-linked Malaria outbreak was in 2023. The institute added that the rarity can, however, work against patients, since doctors may not immediately suspect the disease, which delays diagnosis and raises risks of severe illness. The remaining four infected employees are being treated in hospital, an airport spokesman said, adding that mosquito traps have now been installed on site. Malaria is a serious, mosquito-borne infectious disease caused by microscopic parasites. It is spread through Anopheles mosquitoes and can cause symptoms such as nausea, headache and intense waves of fever and chills. The disease causes hundreds of thousands of deaths a year, mostly in sub-Saharan Africa. There are treatments if infected patients detect the disease early enough, and they usually make a complete recovery.