Health officials are investigating two locally acquired malaria cases on Torres Strait Island, likely caused by mosquito-borne transmission from Papua New Guinea. These are the first local cases in 2025, contributing to 71 malaria notifications in Queensland—more than double the 2020–2024 annual average of 33. Although most of 2025 cases were imported, mainly from PNG and the Solomon Islands, mosquito species capable of local transmission are present in northern Queensland and the Torres Strait.
The risk of sustained transmission is currently considered low. Optimal mosquito bite prevention 24/7 is recommended also against other mosquito borne diseases.
In case of fever, malaria should be considered in the differential diagnosis in travelers returning from the Torres Strait Islands, Australia.