Frankfurt airport worker dies of malaria; five more infected
One airport worker died and five colleagues are being treated after suspected mosquito-borne infections linked to a recent flight.
An employee at Frankfurt Airport has died of malaria, a spokesman for the airport operator Fraport said. Five other airport employees have also been infected and are receiving medical treatment.
Authorities believe the infections were caused by a mosquito that travelled on an aircraft arriving in Germany from a malaria-endemic area, probably in July.
Fraport: focus on information and prevention
Fraport said its immediate priority is informing staff and stepping up preventive measures. Employees have been advised to seek medical attention if they experience any symptoms consistent with malaria.
The airport has installed mosquito traps in terminal areas; captured insects will be sent to a laboratory for testing to determine whether they carried the malaria parasite.
Local health officials are monitoring the situation as treatment continues for the infected workers and investigations proceed into how the mosquito boarded the flight and where exactly it became infected.
Photo: AP)
