In a plot twist that even the most imaginative airport thriller writers probably didn't see coming, a Frankfurt Airport worker has died of malaria after a rare outbreak that left six employees infected with the mosquito-borne disease. German health officials believe the mosquitoes hitched a ride on a plane to Germany's busiest airport, presumably with a carry-on and a tiny neck pillow.

The remaining five infected employees are currently receiving medical treatment, according to a spokesperson for Fraport, the airport operator. To combat the airborne invaders, traps have been installed, and any captured mosquitoes will be analyzed in a lab to determine their species and origin - because knowing exactly which tiny assassin you're dealing with is apparently part of the protocol.

"Sadly, we must confirm that one employee has died as a result of the infection," the Fraport spokesperson told the BBC, adding that they've briefed all employees and encouraged them to see a doctor if they show symptoms. Because nothing says 'we care' like a posthumous health advisory.

The outbreak was first reported in July, when four workers fell ill between 4 and 6 July. The Robert Koch Institute - Germany's federal agency for disease control - said the mosquitoes were brought in by plane. It also noted that malaria in Germany almost exclusively affects long-haul travelers returning from endemic areas, and that airport-transmitted malaria is a rare and unwelcome souvenir.

"The lack of a travel history can lead to a delayed diagnosis. A delayed diagnosis increases the risk of a severe course of the diseases," the institute warned in its epidemiological bulletin. In other words, if you don't look like you've been to the tropics, doctors might not suspect the tropics came to you.

The last case of airport malaria was in 2023 - also at Frankfurt Airport, because apparently once is a fluke, twice is a tradition. The Frankfurt Public Health Department, which is leading the investigation, has yet to comment, probably too busy checking for stowaway mosquitoes in their office.

For those who haven't had the pleasure, malaria is a disease spread by certain mosquitoes, mostly found in tropical countries, according to the World Health Organization. It's preventable and curable, but symptoms can range from mild to life-threatening. And no, it doesn't spread from person to person, so you can't catch it from that guy sneezing on the U-Bahn.

So next time you hear a faint buzzing on a plane, remember: it might just be a mosquito with a boarding pass, ready to make a surprise landing in a country where it's not exactly welcome.