Diphtheria outbreak reaches WA’s prisons
WA Health has confirmed that a diphtheria outbreak in Western Australia’s north has reached the state’s prison population, with two prisoners testing positive for the bacterial disease.
A Department of Justice spokesperson confirmed two cases linked to the West Kimberley Regional Jail at different times over the past two months.
The cases were “appropriately managed by local public health units,” the spokesperson said.
“No contracts were signed in the prison in either case,” the spokesman said.
“Both inmates were isolated from others before returning negative test results.”
The Department of Justice’s infectious disease team is traveling to outbreak-hit areas in Western Australia to vaccinate prisoners.
The bulk of the outbreak, which is also present in the Northern Territory and South Australia, affects communities in the northern Pilbara and Kimberley regions, but has also spread to the Goldfields.
92 cases have been reported to WA Health since the beginning of the year. Most cases occur in the state’s Aboriginal population.
A WA Health spokesperson said the department was aware of two cases linked to West Kimberley Regional Prison.
“The Ministry of Health is in contact with the Ministry of Justice regarding the vaccination of prisoners and staff,” they said.
Last week, the director of the Communicable Disease Control Directorate, Dr. Paul Armstrong said WA Health had “significantly strengthened” its public health response following the emergence of the potentially deadly disease.
“While the majority of cases have occurred in the Kimberley, the department continues to closely monitor the situation in regional WA and respond as appropriate,” he said.
“We are seeing strong collaboration from local communities, Aboriginal health services and other local health care providers, with eligible people coming forward for vaccination.”
On Tuesday NT Health confirmed the death of a man in April was linked to diphtheria after autopsy results arrived from an overseas laboratory.
“Recent toxicology testing has revealed that the diphtheria bug produces a toxin that can cause these health effects,” NT Chief Health Officer Paul Burgess said.
“We are now saying this is the cause of this person’s death.”
He also denied reports that a second person had died from the disease on Sunday.
“I would like to make it clear that the sad death that occurred at Alice Springs Hospital was not related to diphtheria,” he said.
The NT accounts for the majority of the 248 cases reported in the country to date; 163 of these are currently in the region; 48 of these are potentially fatal respiratory infections.
NT Health Minister Steve Edgington said the rate in the territory had fallen following a $7.2 million federal funding package to combat the disease and improve vaccination rates.
“We have seen a decrease in the number of reported cases, and while we are not out of the woods yet, it is important to recognize that this decrease is continuing,” he said.
Dr Burgess said with more than 10,000 residents vaccinated, the rate had halved from 22 cases a week to just nine in the past seven days.
