Death at Frankfurt Highlights Growing Risk of ‘Airport Malaria’

Airport officials at Frankfurt say they are trying to catch mosquitos after one employee died of malaria and five other employees were treated for the infectious disease in what is being called a developing travel season trend.Airport operator, Fraport, said Wednesday that the infections are believed to be from a mosquito that was aboard a plane that landed in July from a malaria-endemic area, though the source has not been determined.The cluster of cases are among baggage workers. The stowaway mosquito is thought to have been in the cargo area of the plane. The incubation period for the disease ranges from seven to 30 days, depending on the species of mosquito carrying the parasite, so exposed individuals may not present with symptoms for up to a month after being bitten, according to Boston University’s Center on Emerging Infectious Diseases.Fraport has set up traps at the airport in an effort to catch and test mosquitos to see if an ongoing risk of further transmissions exists. Airport staff were warned to monitor for any sudden onset of fever and to alert their doctor to the possibility of “airport malaria” to prompt proper testing.The Frankfurt Health Department told Euronews that human-to-human transmission plays no role in airport malaria. Frankfurt Airport is one of Europe’s largest intercontinental hubs and has a high number of direct connections to sub-Saharan Africa. Airport malaria is a recognized but rare subset of malaria cases and a trend that develops during the summer travel season between July and September.Airport malaria is still considered rare as only 145 known airport malaria cases worldwide have been reported in the past 55 years, with nine of them occurring in Germany. Germany’s federal health research institute, the Robert Koch Institute, says Frankfurt Airport had another documented case in 2023.A 2021 research paper, however, found that airport malaria is a growing risk. The number of cases in Europe was 7.4 times higher in the past decade over the previous 10-year period. The authors of the paper said the increase may be associated with climate change, increased international trade, the decline of aircraft disinfection, and delays in case diagnosis and treatment. They said airports need to strengthen malaria prevention and treatment. Another concern is a growing drug resistance by the disease.Malaria is endemic in 87 countries but it is classified as eliminated in the United States, Canada, and Europe. Cases reported in those regions are considered imported.

Death at Frankfurt Highlights Growing Risk of ‘Airport Malaria’

Death at Frankfurt Highlights Growing Risk of ‘Airport Malaria’

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