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In early June over 320 pig hunters gathered in Jambin, about 450km north west of Brisbane, for the King & Queen of CQ Big Boar Competition - claimed to be Australia’s largest hunting competition. Farmers say that feral pigs need eradication as they carry disease, foul waterways and destroy crops. Recreational pig hunting in rural Australia is a widespread control method for the roughly 24 million feral pigs who call Australia home. With around 600 pigs caught during the weekend-long event it brought some temporary relief to the local agriculture industry and gave farmers something to smile about. 

But are those pig hunters and farmers at risk from the very diseases the farmers want gone?

A landmark study investigating domestic and family violence among female healthcare workers in Australia has found that almost half of them (45%) have experienced family violence, including one in nine who had experienced abuse and violence by a partner during the previous 12 months. The study, involving 471 Victorian female healthcare workers, also found that one in eight women had been sexually assaulted by a partner since the age of 16.

Sadly for many nurses and midwives burnout is nothing new, with the emotional, physical and mental exhaustion caused by prolonged stress being part of their every day. Burnout can emerge for a variety of reasons – excessive workloads, a traumatic event, toxic workplace cultures or outside pressures. Nurses and midwives are susceptible to burnout and should watch out for warning signs to avoid reaching breaking point. 

The results of a new research study may provide some help, with staff at risk of burnout able to be identified with a simple saliva test that measures the hormone cortisol.

New research shows that the most common cause of female infertility, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), may be the result of a hormonal imbalance before birth. The findings have since led to a cure in mice, and a drug trial is set to begin in women later this year.