Authorities are monitoring an international hantavirus outbreak as a new GP research grant launches, men’s wellbeing initiatives expand and researchers warn heatwave deaths could surge.
Australian health authorities are monitoring an outbreak of hantavirus infection aboard a cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean, warning travellers to remain alert despite there being no reported human cases in Australia.
The outbreak on the cruise ship off the coast of Praia in Cape Verde has triggered an internationally coordinated response led by the World Health Organization, including passenger evacuations and ongoing risk assessments. Authorities say the current risk to the global population remains low.
The Australian Centre for Disease Control has issued a statement saying while hantavirus has never been recorded in humans in Australia, travellers visiting regions around the world where the virus is known to circulate should take precautions to avoid exposure.
“We are working closely with other government agencies to monitor the situation,” it said in the statement.
Hantaviruses are spread mainly through contact with infected rodents or their bodily fluids, including urine, saliva and faeces.
People can become infected by breathing in contaminated dust in rodent-infested areas, handling contaminated materials or, less commonly, through rodent bites or scratches.
“Rarely, the Andes virus (a member of the hantavirus group) can be transmitted between people with close, prolonged contact,” the ACDC said.
The virus can cause severe illness, including hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, which affects the lungs, and haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome, which can damage the kidneys and lead to internal bleeding.
Early symptoms of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome include fever, fatigue and muscle aches, particularly in the thighs, hips and back. Patients may also experience headaches, nausea, dizziness and abdominal pain before developing coughing, chest tightness and shortness of breath as fluid builds in the lungs.
Haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome can begin with headaches, fever, chills, blurred vision and abdominal pain before progressing to low blood pressure, shock, internal bleeding and acute kidney failure.
There is no vaccine or specific treatment for hantavirus infection, with patients typically receiving supportive hospital care to manage symptoms and complications.
The ACDC has advised anyone travelling overseas to monitor official travel advice through Smartraveller.
If travellers were going to an area where hantavirus has been detected, the ACDC advised them to avoid areas where rodents were present and to maintain good hygiene practices, including regular handwashing after being in public places, touching animals or visiting sick people.
For more information see here.
New $100,000 grant backs next generation of GP medicines research
Therapeutic Guidelines Limited and the Australian General Practice Research Foundation have launched a new $100,000 research grant aimed at supporting early to mid-career GPs to investigate quality use of medicines in Australian general practice.
The 2026 TGL Quality Use of Medicines Research Grant will fund GP-led research focused on how clinical guidelines are implemented and translated into prescribing decisions and patient care in everyday practice.
The grant forms part of the foundation’s 2026 grants round, which opens on 11 May and runs until 22 June 2026, offering funding from $1000 to $100,000 across a range of general practice research priorities.
The initiative is targeted at early to mid-career GP researchers who will hold a leadership role within their proposed project. Research areas include prescribing quality, medicines management, guideline uptake and evidence translation in primary care settings.
Therapeutic Guidelines CEO Dr Leigh Claase said the funding reflected the organisation’s commitment to strengthening evidence-based prescribing in Australian general practice.
“General practice is at the centre of prescribing and medicines management in Australia,” she said.
“This grant is an investment in the early career researchers who will generate the evidence that helps GPs use medicines better, more safely and in line with the best available guidance.”
The foundation’s national Research and Foundation manager Dr Taryn Elliott said the partnership with TGL was a strong example of what targeted, sector-supported research funding could achieve.
“This grant addresses two real challenges at once. It builds research capacity among early career GPs, and it generates practical evidence that can improve prescribing quality and patient outcomes across Australian general practice,” she said.
“That is exactly the kind of investment the foundation exists to support.”
Successful applicants will also receive access to Therapeutic Guidelines resources, including subscriber data and research support during the life of the project.
Participating practices involved in funded research projects will be able to access Therapeutic Guidelines where required for the conduct of the study.
Applications close on 22 June 2026. For more information see here.
National conversations on men’s health and wellbeing
Australian men have been urged to speak up about their health as the federal government launched a nationwide community engagement campaign focused on mental wellbeing, social connection and respectful relationships.
The Healthy Men Community Conversations initiative will bring together community members, health organisations and stakeholders involved in family, domestic and sexual violence prevention to explore how men can be better supported across mental, physical and social health.
The project will be led by assistant minister for social services and the prevention of family violence Ged Kearney and special envoy for men’s health Dan Repacholi.
The initiative will examine barriers to help-seeking among men and boys while strengthening links between communities and local support services.
It begins with a Healthy Masculinities Roundtable hosted by the Australian Institute of Family Studies, bringing together experts in family safety, gender equality, online safety, legal affairs and men’s health.
The government has also announced a 12-month extension of the Healthy Masculinities Trial and Evaluation Program (Healthy MaTE) to 30 June 2027, backed by an additional $861,000 in funding.
This program supports school and community-based initiatives designed to promote healthy expressions of masculinity and respectful relationships among boys and young men under the National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children 2022–32.
Ms Kearney said improving men’s wellbeing required stronger social connection and greater confidence in seeking support early.
“We want men to feel confident seeking support when they need it, and to know that reaching out is an act of strength,” she said.
“By engaging directly with communities, we are building a clearer picture of the challenges men are facing and how we can better support their health, wellbeing and positive relationships.
“The data shows that when men feel supported and socially connected, they are better able to build respectful, healthy relationships. Understanding what strengthens connection and wellbeing is key to fostering strong and positive relationships.”
Mr Repacholi said preventable illness and suicide continued to disproportionately affect Australian men, highlighting the importance of early intervention and conversations around mental health.
“We all need a hand sometimes. Whether it’s a mate, a family member or your GP, having that conversation can make a big difference,” he said.
“Looking after your health isn’t just about the physical stuff. It’s about what’s going on in your head too, and getting on top of it early.
“As blokes, we’re pretty good at putting our heads down and getting on with it, but when it comes to our mental health, that can come at a real cost. We’re losing too many good men far too early.
“Too many blokes are dying from things we could prevent, including suicide. Having a chat, seeing your doctor, getting a bit of support, it can honestly save your life.”
Leaders from the violence prevention and youth mental health sectors welcomed the announcement, saying that healthier expressions of masculinity and stronger social support networks were critical to reducing violence and improving community wellbeing.
Patty Kinnersly, chief executive of Our Watch, said harmful gender norms could negatively affect men’s wellbeing and contribute to violence against women.
“Evidence shows that harmful ideas about how to be a man can impact men’s wellbeing and increase the incidence of violence against women,” she said.
“Creating spaces that support men to challenge these norms is an important part of preventing violence against women, alongside broader efforts to address the underlying drivers of violence, including gender inequality, across our communities and institutions.”
Ben Vasiliou, chief executive of The Man Cave, said investing in boys’ mental health and identity development could have long-term benefits for families, schools and workplaces.
“Promoting healthy expressions of masculinity goes hand-in-hand with advancing gender equity,” he said.
“When boys and men feel secure, supported, and connected, they are far more likely to build respectful relationships and be active contributors to safer, more inclusive communities.”
Related
Heatwave deaths in Australia tipped to soar 24-fold by 2100
Almost 6000 Australians could die from heatwaves each year by the end of the century under climate change, according to the first nationwide modelling study of the long-term health impacts of extreme heat.
The research, led by Monash University and published in The Lancet Planetary Health, projects a dramatic rise from the estimated 250 annual heatwave deaths recorded between 2016 and 2019.
Researchers analysed climate and population data across 2288 communities and found the steepest increases would occur in the country’s hottest and most disadvantaged regions.
In the Northern Territory, heatwave-related mortality is projected to rise by 4412% by 2090–99 compared with 2020–29 levels. Even the least affected region, South Australia’s west coast, is expected to experience a 356% increase.
Lead researcher Professor Shandy Li said the findings highlighted widening climate-related health inequities across Australia.
“These projections underscore the urgent need for integrated mitigation and locally tailored adaptation strategies to address climate-related health inequities,” she said.
The study found the highest average annual excess mortality rates during 2090–99 would occur in the Northern Territory, at 33.9 deaths per 100,000 people, followed by Queensland at 18.4 deaths per 100,000 and New South Wales at 12.8 deaths per 100,000.
Heatwaves, defined as prolonged periods of excessively hot weather, are already linked to increased cardiovascular, respiratory, renal and heat-related illness.
The researchers warned that climate change would intensify those risks while placing growing pressure on healthcare systems and public health infrastructure.
Co-lead author Professor Yuming Guo said the burden would fall disproportionately on vulnerable populations, particularly in northern and inland Australia where Indigenous communities make up a larger share of residents and access to cooling and healthcare resources is often limited.
“Without coordinated action, climate change will substantially exacerbate the health impacts of extreme heat and strain public health resilience across Australia,” Professor Guo said.
The researchers also warned that rural and socioeconomically disadvantaged communities faced high exposure to heatwaves alongside limited adaptive capacity, while metropolitan areas were increasingly affected by urban heat-island effects.
They said their findings strengthened the case for targeted adaptation measures, including improved housing design, heat-health warning systems, urban cooling initiatives and greater investment in healthcare preparedness for extreme heat events.
