<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/diphtheria-outbreak-in-nt-spreads-to-wa-queensland-south-australia/a3bf7fdf-1831-4ad4-a03a-994fb923e543" rel="" target="_blank" title="Diphtheria numbers"><span>Diphtheria numbers</span></a><span> in the Northern Territory reportedly surged weeks before a public health alert was issued, according to leaked NT Health data.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Unlike some states which provide public online data about disease case numbers and locations, NT Health does not release specific details publicly.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>But a document the department shared with service providers this week was leaked to </span><a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-05-30/leaked-nt-health-data-diphtheria-surge-month-before-public-alert/106737280" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" title="the ABC,"><span>the ABC,</span></a><span> which revealed some of its contents to the public today.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/ebola-outbreak-democratic-republic-of-congo-who-leader-sends-letter/56ccc67b-acbb-4187-863b-80dbb99ee8db" target="_blank"><strong><span>WHO boss's plea to locals, rebels over Ebola outbreak</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The data reportedly showed multiple cases of diphtheria were being recorded across Darwin, the Top End and the Katherine region from late February.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>A public health alert about the outbreak, which is now Australia's worst on record, was not issued by NT Health until the end of March.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>An NT Health spokesperson told nine.com.au the department "implemented a timely and proportionate public health response" to the ongoing outbreak.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/diphtheria-outbreak-northern-territory-surged-long-before-health-alert-per-leaked-data/83885c80-0df1-416f-a70e-aaee909c6749" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"The response has included the identification and treatment of all cases and close contacts including vaccination where indicated," they said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"In addition, NT Health has commenced a vaccination campaign aimed at preventing severe illness and reducing transmission within the community."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/donald-trump-250-bill-face-mugshot-treasury-scott-bessent-money-currency-usa-politics-news/42b7ada3-6be9-49b2-b2dc-667582a8541a" target="_blank"><strong><span>US government pushes to put Donald Trump's face on new $250 bill</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Vaccination clinics have been set up across the NT and more than 10,000 diphtheria-containing vaccines have been administered over the past seven weeks.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Weekly case numbers have also been declining through the month of May.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"NT Health continues to closely monitor the situation and will adjust its public health response as required to protect the health of Territorians," the spokesperson said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>NT Chief Health Officer Dr Paul Burgess confirmed earlier this week that the outbreak had spread across all five regions of the NT.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/new-zealand-christchurch-dementia-torture-elder-neglect-abuse-world-news/8ea3d383-1c19-4bbd-b3f1-6e34d70b516d" target="_blank"><strong><span>Son locked his dementia-suffering father in blacked-out room to steal his fortune</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="player__video-container"><img alt="" src="https://imageresizer.static9.net.au/Ay-_beL89DW2yMu1RwEykAdH-po=/750x0/https%3A%2F%2Fvms-network-images-prod.s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com%2F2026%2F05%2F772989%2Fpickerimage.jpg"/></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Diphtheria is highly contagious and can cause severe illness and death.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Even with treatment, one in 10 patients die, according to the CDC.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>More than 250 diphtheria cases have been reported to the Centre for Disease Control (CDC) already, about 60 per cent of them from the NT.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>One death has been recorded so far.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Earlier this month, Federal Health Minister Mark Butler announced the federal government is throwing millions at controlling the outbreak.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>A spokesperson told nine.com.au the outbreak is of deep concern to the Government.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"We are working closely with affected jurisdictions to ensure a coordinated and effective national response to the diphtheria outbreak," they said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Within a matter of days of receiving a request for help from the NT Government, we started sending additional doses of vaccines to the Territory.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"This package is focused on increasing vaccination coverage, strengthening the health workforce in the NT, and supporting community-led responses in affected regions."</span></div></div>