Two deaths at Frankfurt Airport have reignited attention to a rare phenomenon: infected mosquitoes can travel by plane and transmit malaria. Since the beginning of July, six airport employees have been diagnosed; four have recovered, and two have died. Authorities are not reporting any increased risk to the general public.
This type of infection, known as "airport malaria," occurs when an infected Anopheles mosquito arrives by plane from an endemic area, survives the flight, and bites a person in or near the airport. A variant exists: "luggage malaria," when the insect travels in a suitcase. Malaria is not transmitted directly between humans.
The phenomenon is known. A study published in 2024 in Eurosurveillance identified 145 cases in Europe since 1969, 105 of which were attributed to an imported mosquito. France accounts for nearly half of these cases, with 52. Paris-Charles de Gaulle is the airport most affected, with 32 cases, followed by Brussels (18) and Frankfurt (8). The majority of cases occur between June and September.
Researchers attribute the situation at Roissy to the importance of its connections with regions where malaria is endemic. In 2021-2022, Paris-CDG was the European airport receiving the most direct flights from these countries.
In Frankfurt, mosquito traps have been deployed, and genetic analyses are underway to determine the origin of the infections. Authorities emphasize, however, that these transmissions remain exceptional in Europe. For travelers, the main risk remains exposure during a stay in an area where the disease is circulating.
 Sophie de Duiéry
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02/09/2026 | 
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