Passenger planes take off from Frankfurt Airport. After two airport employees died from a malaria infection, another person in the Frankfurt metropolitan area also succumbed to "airport malaria," a condition caused by infected mosquitoes that are bro …
Three people have died from malaria in Germany in what authorities believe may be a rare outbreak linked to an infected mosquito transported aboard an airplane, according to reports.
Dig deeper:
Several people were hospitalized after developing the tropical disease following flights to Frankfurt, The Sun reported. It was not immediately clear where the flights originated.
The third victim, a resident of Schwanheim, north of Frankfurt Airport, died recently. An airport worker also died from the disease in August. Neither person had recently traveled to a region where malaria is endemic.
RELATED: These US beaches are home to some of America's most venomous snakes
Another German resident also contracted malaria. The disease is transmitted through the bite of an infected mosquito and cannot spread from person to person.
What they're saying:
"Both individuals had become infected with the malaria-causing parasite Plasmodium falciparum, even though they had not traveled to a malaria-endemic region and had not worked at the airport," city officials said.
Why you should care:
The unusual occurrence, known as "airport malaria," can happen when an infected mosquito becomes trapped aboard an aircraft or inside luggage, is transported to a region where malaria is not normally found and then bites someone.
Airport officials placed traps around the property in July as part of an effort to contain the malaria outbreak, The Sun reported.
Germany's Robert Koch Institute, the country's public health and disease-control agency, said airport workers became ill after contracting malaria between July 4 and July 6.
Fraport, the company that operates Frankfurt Airport, said six employees in total contracted the disease, according to The Express.
"We have provided comprehensive information to all employees and encourage them to consult a doctor if they experience any symptoms," the company said.
The Source: FOX News contributed to this report. The information in this story came from reports by The Sun and The Express, along with statements from local city officials, Germany’s Robert Koch Institute and Fraport, the company that operates Frankfurt Airport. The reports detailed the deaths, illnesses among airport employees, suspected "airport malaria" infections and containment efforts. This story was reported from Los Angeles.