Australia Records First Diphtheria Death Since 2018 as 245 Cases Mark Worst Outbreak Since 1991
Updated
Updated · BBC.com · May 26
Australia Records First Diphtheria Death Since 2018 as 245 Cases Mark Worst Outbreak Since 1991
8 articles · Updated · BBC.com · May 26
Autopsy results confirmed diphtheria caused a man’s April death at Royal Darwin Hospital, giving Australia its first fatality from the disease since 2018.
245 cases have been recorded nationwide this year—the biggest outbreak since 1991—with infections rising from late 2025 and concentrated mainly in remote Indigenous communities.
The Northern Territory accounts for about 60% of cases and Western Australia roughly 36%; the NT alone logged 163 cases from January 2025 to May 2026, including 48 respiratory infections.
10,407 vaccinations have been delivered in the NT since March 30, officials said, as pop-up clinics and booster campaigns expand and new case numbers begin to fall.
Last week Canberra declared diphtheria a communicable disease incident of national significance and unveiled an AU$7.2 million support package for affected areas.
Why is a 19th-century disease making a deadly comeback in modern Australia?
Beyond vaccines, what will it take to crisis-proof Australia's most vulnerable communities?