Frankfurt airport malaria: genetics trace eight cases, three fatal, to parasites from West Africa

Eight cases of "airport malaria" recorded in the summer near Frankfurt airport, three of them fatal, were caused by parasites of African origin carried into Germany by mosquitoes, the city of Frankfurt said on Wednesday, as reported by Sciences et Avenir. sciencesetavenir.frSciences et Avenirsciencesetavenir.frOpen source ↗ Genetic analyses suggest the parasites originate in West Africa and were probably brought in by infected mosquitoes, said Peter Tinnemann, head of Frankfurt's health service. sciencesetavenir.frSciences et Avenirsciencesetavenir.frOpen source ↗

"Airport malaria" is the term for a form of the disease that occurs when an infected Anopheles mosquito travels by aircraft from an endemic area to a disease-free one and infects people. The pathogen in this case is Plasmodium falciparum. sciencesetavenir.frSciences et Avenirsciencesetavenir.frOpen source ↗

Genomic analysis of the cases

The Institute of Tropical Medicine (ITM) in Antwerp, Belgium, carried out the genomic analysis of all eight cases. According to the institute, the parasites came from three different mosquitoes, corresponding to three separate foci in July, August and September. sciencesetavenir.frSciences et Avenirsciencesetavenir.frOpen source ↗

Of the eight patients, six had spent time at the airport and fell ill in early July or mid-August; two of them died. In September, two people living in a neighbourhood immediately adjacent to the airport became ill, and one of them died. sciencesetavenir.frSciences et Avenirsciencesetavenir.frOpen source ↗ None of the eight had previously stayed in an endemic area. sciencesetavenir.frSciences et Avenirsciencesetavenir.frOpen source ↗

Diagnosis and context

Malaria causes hundreds of thousands of deaths every year, mainly in sub-Saharan Africa. sciencesetavenir.frSciences et Avenirsciencesetavenir.frOpen source ↗ The previous airport malaria episode recorded in Germany dates to 2023, according to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), the German health agency. The rarity of the disease in the country can delay diagnosis and increase the risk of severe complications. sciencesetavenir.frSciences et Avenirsciencesetavenir.frOpen source ↗

The city stated that Plasmodium falciparum malaria is "completely curable" if detected and treated in time. It asked that medical and hospital staff in the region be made aware of the symptoms suggestive of the disease. sciencesetavenir.frSciences et Avenirsciencesetavenir.frOpen source ↗