Australia’s Worst Diphtheria Outbreak Claims First Fatality
Australia is currently experiencing one of its most severe diphtheria outbreaks, with the disease now officially linked to its first fatality. Tests have confirmed that the illness was the probable cause of death for a man who passed away in April. The confirmation came after results from an overseas laboratory were received by NT Health.
NT Chief Health Officer Paul Burgess stated that the final toxicology tests showed the diphtheria bacteria was producing a toxin capable of causing serious health effects. He emphasized that this finding makes it likely that the disease was the cause of death for the individual.
Burgess also addressed reports of a second death, clarifying that a man who died in Alice Springs Hospital on Sunday was not associated with diphtheria. “I would like to be very clear that that sad death that happened in Alice Springs Hospital was not associated with diphtheria,” he said.
The Northern Territory has been at the epicenter of the outbreak, accounting for the majority of the 248 reported cases across the country. Of these, 163 are currently in the NT, with 48 of them involving the potentially deadly respiratory form of the infection. The remaining cases are spread across Western Australia, South Australia, and Queensland.
Decline in Cases Following Vaccination Efforts
Despite the severity of the outbreak, authorities have noted a significant decline in the number of cases in the NT. This reduction has been attributed to a $7.2 million federal funding package aimed at combating the disease and improving vaccination rates.
NT Health Minister Steve Edgington acknowledged the progress made, stating that the number of reported cases has decreased. “We have seen a reduction in the number of reported cases and while we’re not out of the woods, it is important to recognize that this reduction has continued,” he said.
Dr. Burgess highlighted that the rate of new cases has roughly halved, from up to 22 per week at its peak to just nine in the past seven days. Over 10,000 residents have been immunized as part of the effort to curb the outbreak.
Targeted Vaccination Campaigns
Health authorities have been working closely with Aboriginal health agencies to ensure vaccination efforts reach remote communities where the virus has spread. Dr. Burgess praised the work done in improving vaccination rates, noting that over 10,000 vaccines have been administered in the last seven weeks.
“Our aim is by the end of this year to have vaccine rates as high as we can to really terminate this outbreak,” he said.
While the NT had previously maintained very high vaccination rates in Aboriginal communities—above 90%—this has slightly dropped to 89%, according to Dr. Burgess.
Outbreak Context and Origins
When hundreds of cases were first reported, Federal Health Minister Mark Butler described the outbreak as about 30 times greater than the average number of diphtheria cases nationally over the past five years. Compared to the current total of 248 cases, there were only 26 reported in 2025 and just nine in 2024.
Dr. Burgess suggested that the current strain of diphtheria was likely imported from overseas into northern Queensland in 2022. He pointed to the genetic fingerprint of the strain found in the NT outbreak as evidence of this origin.
