Australia’s diphtheria outbreak shows why boosters, antibiotics, and better housing all matter

https://www.news-medical.net/news/20260615/Australiae28099s-diphtheria-outbreak-shows-why-boosters-antibiotics-and-better-housing-all-matter.aspx A 131-case outbreak reveals how a vaccine-preventable disease regained a foothold in the Northern Territory, exposing the urgent need for booster vaccination, rapid treatment, genomic surveillance, and better housing. In a recent study published in the journal Eurosurveillance, a group of researchers investigated the epidemiology, laboratory characteristics, genomic features, and public health response associated with the 2025-2026 diphtheria outbreak in Australia’s Northern Territory.