Queensland Health has urgently stepped up efforts to investigate a sudden spike in locally acquired malaria cases. This year, we are already at 71 reported cases. Paul Griffin, an infectious diseases expert, explained that as worrying as these cases might be, they are still very, very rare. The last documented outbreak of locally acquired malaria on mainland Australia was in 2002 in north Queensland.
These are serious cases and we need to treat them as such, said Professor Griffin, especially because of the serious health consequences they can cause. In the past, Queensland has recorded a low annual average of 33 malaria cases from 2020-2024. This year’s number, however, is a dangerous trend upward towards the past, sparking concern among public health officials.
As Professor Griffin noted, malaria was once an everyday occurrence in Australia. Due to the power of proven interventions in the past four decades, we’ve seen its transmission plummet. “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,” he stated.
While the introduction of these cases is infrequent, Queensland’s public health system is always on standby to treat cases when they do occur. Professor Griffin reassured the public that appropriate measures are in place to handle any potential outbreaks: “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.”
Locally acquired malaria has been recorded as recently as 2018 on the outer islands of the Torres Strait. These islands are steeped in culture and tradition, from Saibai, Boigu, Erub and Badu. The threat posed by malaria-carrying mosquitoes in these areas requires constant vigilance and preventive measures.
As the story develops, public health officials remind residents in impacted areas to follow safety precautions. “That’s why in those areas we need to give people that advice to make sure we reduce the chance of local transmission,” Professor Griffin added.
Cerebral malaria, where the malaria parasites infect the brain, is one severe outcome of malaria infection, and without immediate treatment malaria can be fatal. Therefore, health authorities are tracking the latest developments very closely and issuing regular updates to keep the public safe.
