Australia is currently battling its biggest diphtheria outbreak since 1991, with health authorities urgently increasing vaccination campaigns across several regions after hundreds of infections were reported this year.
The outbreak was first officially declared in March by authorities in the Northern Territory (NT), but cases have also spread across Western Australia, South Australia, and Queensland. Health experts say infections began rising steadily in late 2025 before surging sharply in February 2026.
So far, Australia has recorded 245 diphtheria cases this year alone, with most infections occurring in remote Indigenous communities. Around 60% of all cases were reported in the Northern Territory, while Western Australia accounts for approximately 36% of infections.
On Tuesday, Northern Territory Health Minister Steve Edgington confirmed that autopsy results from an overseas laboratory revealed diphtheria was responsible for the death of a man treated at Royal Darwin Hospital in April. The death marks Australia’s first confirmed diphtheria fatality since 2018.
“Our government has taken this situation very seriously, and we are working hard to understand the causes and working to contain the situation,” Edgington said.
Authorities say aggressive vaccination campaigns are beginning to slow the outbreak. Since March 30, more than 10,400 vaccine doses have been administered in high-risk communities. Pop-up vaccination clinics have also been established in Darwin, Katherine, and Alice Springs to improve public awareness and access to booster shots.
Between January 2025 and May 2026, the Northern Territory alone recorded 163 diphtheria cases. Of these, 48 were respiratory infections while 115 were cutaneous cases, a skin-related form of the disease spread through direct contact.
Health officials in Western Australia also confirmed two respiratory diphtheria cases earlier this year — the state’s first such infections in more than 50 years.
Diphtheria is a serious bacterial disease that can affect the throat, nose, and skin. Respiratory diphtheria often begins with symptoms such as fever, chills, and sore throat, but severe cases can lead to breathing difficulties and become life-threatening. Cutaneous diphtheria usually causes slow-healing sores or ulcers on exposed skin and is generally less dangerous.
Medical experts stress that both forms of the disease are preventable through vaccination. In Australia, children typically receive five vaccine doses between infancy and four years of age, followed by a booster shot during early adolescence. Authorities are now urging teenagers and adults to update their booster vaccinations to help stop transmission.
Australia’s Chief Medical Officer, Michael Kidd, recently declared the outbreak a communicable disease incident of national significance. The federal government has also announced a AU$7.2 million emergency package to strengthen vaccination programs and medical resources in affected communities.
Health officials continue to encourage residents in affected areas to get vaccinated, describing immunisation as the country’s strongest defense against the outbreak.
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