Deadly Fungal Outbreak at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital: A Timeline of Events and Responses

In late 2025, a cluster of Aspergillus infections emerged at the Royal Prince Alfred (RPA) Hospital in Sydney, resulting in the deaths of two organ transplant patients and leaving four others unwell. The outbreak, which occurred in the hospital's transplant unit, was only publicly disclosed in February 2026 after the New South Wales government was compelled to release information under parliamentary order.

NSW Health Authorities Deny Cover-Up of Hospital Fungal Outbreak

• October 2025: Initial infections begin to surface among transplant patients.

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• November 5 & 19, 2025: Two patients die due to fungal infections.

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• December 10, 2025: Hospital staff initiate an investigation into the infections.

NSW Health Authorities Deny Cover-Up of Hospital Fungal Outbreak

• December 24, 2025: NSW Health Minister Ryan Park is notified of the outbreak.

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• January 2, 2026: The transplant unit is closed, and patients are relocated.

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• February 9, 2026: The transplant unit reopens after extensive cleaning and air quality testing.

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Health authorities suspect that ongoing construction at RPA, part of a $940 million redevelopment project, may have stirred up Aspergillus spores, contributing to the outbreak. Prior to this incident, RPA had recorded an average of one Aspergillus infection per year over the previous seven years. Dr. Kerry Chant, the state’s chief health officer, noted that construction activities are known risk factors for fungal infections in hospitals.

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Ryan Park, the NSW Health Minister, defended the decision to initially inform only affected patients and staff, stating that the aim was to avoid causing unnecessary alarm. He emphasized that the health department acted on the advice of an expert panel. “We wanted to strike a balance between not unnecessarily scaring people,” Park stated. He also acknowledged that while mould is a common issue in hospitals, it does not always pose a risk to patients.

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The opposition, led by Sarah Mitchell, accused the Minns Labor government of a “cover-up” regarding the outbreak. Mitchell expressed outrage over the handling of the situation, stating, “The staff, patients, and families of those who lost their lives deserve transparency.” Critics argue that the government should have disclosed the outbreak sooner to ensure public awareness and safety.

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While the NSW Health Minister asserts that hundreds were informed about the outbreak, critics claim that the information was not adequately shared with the public. Additionally, there are discrepancies regarding the exact number of infections and the timeline of events leading to the public disclosure.

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Investigations are ongoing to determine the full extent of the outbreak and the role of construction in exacerbating the situation. The NSW Health department plans to issue new guidelines for managing fungal infections among transplant patients following expert consultations.

NSW Health Authorities Deny Cover-Up of Hospital Fungal Outbreak

• “We wanted to strike a balance between not unnecessarily scaring people,” — Ryan Park, NSW Health Minister

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• “The Minns Labor government has covered this up for the past three months,” — Sarah Mitchell, NSW Shadow Minister for Health

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• “The difficulty is … finding the ones that were just unrelated to anything we could have controlled versus ones where we can actually take that action,” — Dr. Kerry Chant, Chief Health Officer

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