Epidemiology of malaria in the Torres Strait Islands, Australia, 2000-2025 and the public health response to three recent outbreaks.

Authors

C Bowers, D Pourmarzi, J Hanson, A Hempenstall, P Dugdale, C Cashman, A Fauid, G Ehlers, J Davis, D Peniyamina, L Stephens, C Taunton

Published in

Communicable diseases intelligence (2018). Volume 50. Oct 20, 2026. Epub Oct 20, 2026.

Abstract

Australia was declared malaria free in 1981. However, the proximity of Australia's Torres Strait region to malaria-endemic Papua New Guinea (PNG), and the presence of the Anopheles mosquito across Northern Australia, means there is an ongoing risk of malaria for many Australian residents. This paper describes the epidemiology of malaria in the Torres Strait region between 2000 and 2025 and reports the public health response to three malaria outbreaks between 2023 and 2025.
Case data from 1 January 2000 to 31 December 2025 were extracted from the Queensland Notifiable Conditions System to describe the epidemiology of malaria in the Torres Strait. The public health responses to each of the three recent outbreaks were reported against the Queensland Health Public Health Unit Guidelines for Malaria.
During the period 2000-2013, there were 171 cases of malaria reported in the Torres Strait region. Of these, 89 (52%) were positive for Plasmodium falciparum and 82 (48%) for P. vivax. Of cases during this period, 130 (76%) were imported from PNG; 13 (8%) were acquired in Australia; and 28 (16%) had an unknown place of acquisition. After a nine-year period without any confirmed malaria cases in the region, eight cases were reported across three outbreaks between 2023 and 2025. In all six of the outbreak cases in which a species could be confirmed, P. vivax was identified. The three outbreaks were managed effectively in partnership with local leaders, and included active case finding and vector control activities.
The public health response successfully halted transmission of malaria during three separate outbreaks in the Torres Strait Islands. However, there is an ongoing local risk due to the high incidence of malaria in PNG and cross-border movement under the Torres Strait Treaty. Ongoing collaboration with PNG stakeholders and enhanced local surveillance are essential to minimise the future importation of malaria, and other potentially life-threatening pathogens, into mainland Australia.

PMID:
42896225
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 20 Oct 2026.

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