Health Authorities Dispute Report of Second Diphtheria Death in Northern Territory
The Northern Territory health department has denied a previous report that a second individual has died from diphtheria in the region. This comes as the country continues to face an ongoing outbreak of the disease.
According to sources close to the deceased, a Central Australian man was diagnosed with diphtheria days ago and passed away at Alice Springs Hospital. However, NT Health has since clarified that the man did not die from the disease.
“NT Health has confirmed that the reported death of a patient in Central Australia on Sunday 24 May is in no way related or linked to diphtheria,” the department stated in a release.
“NT Health is unable to provide further comment on the cause of death for privacy reasons. There has been one possible death related to diphtheria in the Northern Territory as of 25 May 2026. NT Health is still awaiting a formal autopsy result.”
Outbreak Context
NT Health declared a diphtheria outbreak in the territory in March, marking the first time since the 1990s. The disease has since spread to Western Australia, South Australia, and Queensland.
Diphtheria is a vaccine-preventable illness that exists in two forms: respiratory and cutaneous. Respiratory diphtheria spreads through coughing and sneezing, while cutaneous diphtheria is transmitted through skin-to-skin contact.
Last week, NT Health Minister Steven Edgington mentioned that the expected autopsy results confirming the territory’s one diphtheria-related death during the current outbreak were “very soon.”
Current Outbreak Data
The Australian Centre for Disease Control (CDC) has recorded at least 242 cases of diphtheria across Australia this year, with 146 cases specifically in the Northern Territory.
In Western Australia, 89 cases have been identified, including 81 in the Kimberley region, five in the Pilbara, two in the Goldfields, and one in Perth. In South Australia, seven cases have been reported in the north-west, within the APY Lands. Queensland health authorities are noting two cases in Cairns and one in Brisbane.
Federal Health Minister Mark Butler has called for an investigation into the source of the outbreak.
“Something clearly has gone wrong here,” he said. “Having an outbreak that is so big compared to the historical position of a disease most developed countries have consigned to the dustbin of history does mean we have to examine what went wrong here.”
Symptoms of Diphtheria
Respiratory diphtheria typically begins with fever, sore throat, loss of appetite, and a general feeling of being unwell, according to the CDC. Within days, a thick greyish-white membrane may form over the throat and tonsils, making it difficult to swallow and breathe. In severe cases, it can block the airway, leading to death by asphyxia.
Cutaneous diphtheria causes slow-healing skin ulcers, usually on the arms or legs. It is generally less severe than the respiratory form of the disease, as noted by the CDC.
The National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance (NCIRS) states that both forms of the disease should prompt antibiotic treatment to clear the bacteria and reduce transmission. However, the CDC warns that up to one in 10 people with respiratory diphtheria will die even with treatment.
Prevention and Vaccination
Vaccination is the best protection against diphtheria. Before vaccines were introduced, more than 4,000 Australians died from diphtheria between 1926 and 1935, according to the NCIRS.
Diphtheria vaccines are part of Australia’s National Immunisation Program and are administered during childhood, with booster doses recommended every 10 years. In response to the recent outbreak, local authorities have urged Australians to keep their vaccinations up to date. For at-risk groups, including Indigenous people and frontline workers, the recommended interval between boosters has been halved to five years.
