German health officials are seeking to reassure the public after two workers at the country\u2019s biggest airport died of malaria.<\/p>\n
Mosquito traps have been set up at Frankfurt airport and a mosquito monitoring process is under way. A detailed investigation is being conducted to clarify how the workers contracted the disease.<\/p>\n
Since last month, six people are known to have caught malaria tropica \u2013 the most dangerous form of the disease \u2013 in connection with their work at the airport.<\/p>\n
Of the two that have died, one began getting sick at the start of July and the other in mid-August. The four other people who were infected have been treated in hospital and are now out of danger, according to Frankfurt\u2019s public health department.<\/p>\n
Letters have been sent to all airport workers to raise awareness about symptoms and urge vigilance. Doctors are being asked to watch out for patients with unexplained fever who work in and around the airport.<\/p>\n
In a statement <\/a>on its website, the health department acknowledged the existence of \u201cairport malaria\u201d, where mosquitoes from malaria-endemic areas are transported in flight cabins or in baggage holds.<\/p>\n A female Anopheles stephensi mosquito. The species has been linked to the Frankfurt malaria outbreak. Photograph: CDC\/Phanie\/Rex Features<\/p>\n It said that because this was \u201ca very rare occurrence\u201d, malaria could easily be overlooked and diagnosis delayed, increasing the chance of death. It said human-to-human transmission was not possible.<\/p>\n