Urgent outbreak alert as life-threatening disease surges in one Aussie state as wet weather fuels spike in cases
Queensland Health are investigating two more cases of locally acquired malaria, bringing the number of infections in the state this year to 71.
The second locally acquired infection was recently found in the Torres Strait Islands local government area.
The vast majority of cases (97 per cent) this year have come from overseas, mainly Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands.
But it's a worrying trend given just four cases were recorded in the same period in 2021. Twenty were recorded in 2022, 50 in 2023 and 69 in 2024.
Recent wild weather in Far North Queensland has played a role in the spike in cases.
Autumn was one of the wettest in Queensland's history, beating 100-year records with floodwaters a breeding ground for mosquitoes.
Malaria is preventable and curable and can't be passed from person to person and is spread through the bites of infected Anopheles mosquitoes.
Mater Health infectious diseases director Paul Griffin told ABC the outbreak would be contained to the far north of Australia.
'We don't have mosquitoes capable of passing malaria on all throughout the country, but certainly in the more tropical parts of our country, the Northern Territory and northern parts of Queensland,' he said.
'That's why in those areas we need to give people that advice to make sure we reduce the chance of local transmission.'
The last cases acquired on mainland Australia were during an outbreak in north Queensland in 2002.
'Malaria used to be something that we had transmitted within Australia, but due to a host of different interventions locally, acquired malaria has not been something that we have really dealt with for some 40-odd years,' Mr Griffin said.
Mr Griffin did however warn that those at risk of catching the disease needed to take the threat seriously.
'With more significant types of malaria, the severe consequences can be involvement of the brain, so cerebral malaria and even death,' he said.
'It is something that we do need to take seriously and make sure we take steps to limit how much it is able to be passed on in our country.'
The most common early symptoms of malaria are fever, headache and chills and they usually start within 10 to 15 days of getting bitten by an infected mosquito.
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