Diphtheria

Fact sheet - Health Conditions Directory

https://www.vaccinate.initiatives.qld.gov.au/what-to-vaccinate-against/diphtheria Vaccination and Immunisation Matters site

Diphtheria is an infection of the throat and nose caused by the Corynebacterium diphtheriae bacteria. Diphtheria can cause a membrane to grow around the inside of the throat which can lead to difficulty in swallowing and breathing. Occasionally these bacteria can also cause skin infections. Diphtheria has been rare in Australia since the introduction of an effective vaccine, but a century ago diphtheria was the common infectious cause of death. Outbreaks still occur in countries with low vaccination rates.

• Read Communicable Diseases Network Australia guidelines
• Read process for obtaining diphtheria antitoxin in Queensland (PDF, 217kB)
• Read ATAGI Advice regarding diphtheria vaccination in outbreak settings 2026

Notification

Pathology laboratories

• Notification criteria for pathology laboratories (PDF, 55kB)

Attending medical practitioners/medical superintendents (or delegates)

Clinicians are to notify urgently on clinical suspicion of respiratory diphtheria by usual means to the local public health unit.

Notification resources

• List of all Pathological, clinical and provisional diagnosis notifiable conditions
• Diphtheria – Laboratory case definition Australian Centre for Disease Control
• Diphtheria – Surveillance case definition
• List of Public Health Unit contacts
• Notifiable conditions report form for Queensland doctors/clinicians (PHA S70) or person in charge of a Hospital (PHA S71) (PDF, 77kB) (if faxing notification, follow-up by phone).
• Case report form (PDF, 504kB) - used by public health units to collect and manage more detailed information for enhanced case surveillance.

Enhanced surveillance for public health units

• Case report form (PDF, 504kB) - used by public health units to collect and manage more detailed information for enhanced case surveillance.

• Immunisation – Queensland Health website for health professionals.
• Australian immunisation handbook - clinical guidelines for health professionals on the safest and most effective use of vaccines in their practice.
• Diphtheria - Vaccination and Immunisation Matters site
• Diphtheria poster for consumers
• Factsheet for consumers
• Diphtheria FAQs

• View communicable diseases data for notifiable conditions in Queensland.