Australia has recorded its first diphtheria-related death in nearly a decade, as the country faces its largest outbreak of the vaccine-preventable disease in decades.
Health authorities confirmed that 245 cases have been reported this year, making it the biggest outbreak since national records began in 1991, with most infections occurring in remote Indigenous communities.
The outbreak began to escalate in late 2025, with a sharp rise in cases reported from February 2026 across the Northern Territory, Western Australia, South Australia, and Queensland.
Officials said the death of a man in April at Royal Darwin Hospital was confirmed through autopsy results from an overseas laboratory, marking the first diphtheria death since 2018.
In response, the government has intensified vaccination campaigns in high-risk regions, with more than 10,000 doses administered since late March.
Northern Territory Health Minister Steve Edgington said authorities are working urgently to contain the outbreak and better understand its causes, noting that case numbers are now beginning to decline.
Health officials have also established pop-up vaccination clinics in Darwin, Katherine, and Alice Springs to improve access and encourage booster uptake among teenagers and adults.
Authorities continue to stress that vaccination remains the most effective protection against both respiratory and cutaneous forms of diphtheria, which can cause severe illness and, in some cases, death.
