Frankfurt reports a third malaria death; outbreak linked to the airport
Kyiv • UNN
Three people have died of malaria near Frankfurt Airport, although they had not traveled to areas where it is endemic. The cause of the outbreak is being investigated.
A third person has died of malaria near Frankfurt Airport; German officials described the case as an extremely rare outbreak of a tropical disease linked to air travel, reports UNN, citing Reuters.
On Thursday, Frankfurt authorities reported that one of two infected residents of the Schwanheim district (located north of the airport) had died at the city's university hospital.
"Both individuals were infected with the parasite "Plasmodium falciparum," which causes malaria, although they had not visited regions where the disease is prevalent and had not worked at the airport," the statement said.
It should be added
On August 27, city officials reported that two airport employees had died of malaria, while four others had recovered after becoming infected.
The malaria parasite is transmitted from person to person through certain species of mosquitoes, but people cannot infect one another directly.
The Frankfurt Airport administration reported that mosquitoes caught in traps during July and August had been sent to a laboratory in Antwerp (Belgium), but the test results are not yet available.
An airport spokesperson noted that local health authorities, in principle, have the power to require airlines to disinfect aircraft.