NT Health is investigating an outbreak of diphtheria after four cases have been diagnosed in the past week.
The Centre for Disease Control has confirmed three cases of respiratory diphtheria in Darwin and 1 in Alice Springs, with 33 cases of cutaneous diphtheria notified since 2025.
Signs and symptoms
Respiratory diphtheria symptoms can include a sore throat, mild fever, loss of appetite and in severe cases, trouble breathing.
Cutaneous diphtheria symptoms can include sores or ulcers (often on the legs) and slow healing wounds.
It is spread person to person by inhaling respiratory droplets and less commonly by direct skin contact with the sores of infected people.
Vaccination
Respiratory and cutaneous diphtheria are vaccine-preventable diseases.
The vaccination is free in the NT through the National Immunisation Program here for children at 6 weeks, 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, 18 months, 4 years and 12 years.
Adults are recommended to have a booster vaccination every 10 years and pregnant women between 20 and 32 weeks of pregnancy.
Vaccinations can be obtained from GPs, health clinics, and community health centres.
For up-to-date information, visit healt.nt.gov.au.
