Frankfurt Airport is in contact with the authorities after two travelers who flew from Rwanda to Frankfurt are suspected of being infected with the life-threatening Marburg virus. This was announced by the operator Fraport. However, transmission of the virus on the plane is considered unlikely.
The two travelers had taken a plane from Rwanda to Frankfurt during the night from Tuesday to Wednesday and then traveled on to Hamburg by train. One of the people had previously worked in a hospital in Rwanda where Marburg-infected patients were also treated. Whether the people affected are actually infected is currently being investigated.
Fraport stated that there were no effects on flight operations at Frankfurt Airport and that they were working closely with the health authorities. The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) stated that there have been no documented cases of the Marburg virus being transmitted on an aircraft. Infection usually occurs through close contact with sick people or their bodily fluids.
The Marburg virus causes severe illness, including high fever, muscle pain, abdominal cramps, diarrhea and bloody vomiting, with a mortality rate of 25 to 90 percent in previous outbreaks in Africa. There has been no confirmed case in Germany since 1967.