The outbreak of diphtheria in Western Australia’s north has reached the state’s prison population, WA Health has confirmed, with two inmates having tested positive to the bacterial disease.
A Department of Justice spokesperson confirmed two cases linked to West Kimberley Regional Prison at different times over the past two months.
The spokesperson said the cases were “appropriately managed by the local public health units”.
“Neither case was contracted at the prison,” the spokesperson said.
“Both prisoners were isolated from others before returning negative test results.”
A Department of Justice communicable disease team is travelling through the regions in WA hit by the outbreak to vaccinate prisoners.
Much of the outbreak – which is also present in the Northern Territory and South Australia – is affecting communities in the northern Pilbara and Kimberley regions, but it has also spread to the Goldfields.
There have been 92 cases notified to WA Health since the start of the year. Most of the cases are in the state’s Aboriginal population.
A WA Health spokesperson said the department was aware of the two cases linked to West Kimberley Regional Prison.
“The Department of Health is liaising with the Department of Justice about vaccination of prisoners and staff,” they said.
Last week, Communicable Disease Control Directorate director Dr Paul Armstrong said WA Health had “significantly strengthened” its public health response following the outbreak of the potentially deadly disease.
“While most cases have occurred in the Kimberley, the department continues to closely monitor the situation across regional WA and respond as appropriate,” he said.
“We are seeing strong cooperation from local communities, Aboriginal health services and other local healthcare providers, with eligible people coming forward for vaccination.”
On Tuesday, NT Health confirmed a man’s death in April was diphtheria-related after autopsy results from an overseas laboratory were returned.
“The final toxicology tests have come back demonstrating that the diphtheria bug is producing a toxin that can cause these health effects,” NT Chief Health Officer Paul Burgess said.
“We now say that is probable as the cause of death for that individual.”
He also dismissed reports that a second man had died from the disease on Sunday.
“I would like to be very clear that that sad death that happened in Alice Springs Hospital was not associated with diphtheria,” he said.
The NT has the bulk of the nation’s 248 reported cases to date, with 163 currently in the territory – 48 of them being the potentially deadly respiratory infection.
NT Health Minister Steve Edgington said the territory’s rate had declined following a $7.2 million federal funding package to combat the disease and improve vaccination rates.
“We have seen a reduction in the number of reported cases and while we’re not out of the woods it is important to recognise that that reduction has continued,” he said.
Dr Burgess said the rate had roughly halved from up to 22 cases a week at its peak to only nine in the past seven days, with more than 10,000 residents immunised.
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