Why Australia is suffering its worst diphtheria outbreak in years
Related: Death at Manston migrant facility may have been diphtheria, Home Office says
Australia is grappling with its largest diphtheria outbreak in decades, with almost 220 cases reported across the Northern Territory, Western Australia, South Australia and Queensland.
The resurgence of the Victorian-era disease is primarily linked to a decline in childhood vaccination rates, which reached a five-year low in 2025.
A significant majority of the reported cases involve Indigenous Australians, leading health authorities to partner with Aboriginal agencies to improve immunisation.
Federal Health Minister Mark Butler confirmed a government support package is being drafted, including additional vaccines and a surge workforce, noting that approximately 25% of cases require hospitalisation.
Health authorities are investigating a suspected diphtheria death, which, if confirmed, would be the country’s first fatality from the disease in almost a decade.
