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UK birds 'poisoned' by lead gunshot
Lead poisoning killing UK waterbirds

Scientists have revealed that lead poisoning from spent gun ammunition is a significant cause of death among the UK waterbirds.

Ten per cent of dead waterbirds collected from 1971 to 2012 died from lead poisoning, and a third of a sample of living birds were also affected. Over 2000 post-mortem examinations were conducted on individual waterbirds across 28 species across Britain over the past four decades, and up to 438 pieces of lead shot were found in the dead birds. The primary cause of death was lead poisoning in one in ten cases.

Scientists believe this shows that laws restricting the use of lead gunshot are not effective, but shooting groups have disagreed, stating that few people still use lead gunshot, but there is a 'historical legacy' of lead shot in the environment.

The study, conducted by the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT), is published in the European Journal of Wildlife Research.

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VMD invites students to apply for EMS placement

News Story 1
 The Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) is inviting applications from veterinary students to attend a one-week extramural studies (EMS) placement in July 2026.

Students in their clinical years of study have until 28 February to apply for the placement, which takes place at the VMD's offices in Addlestone, Surrey, from 6-10 July 2026.

Through a mixture of lectures and workshops, the placement will explore how veterinary medicines are authorised, non-clinical career opportunities, and other important aspects of the VMD's work.  

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News Shorts
Survey seeks ruminant sector views on antimicrobial stewardship

A new survey is seeking views of people working in the UK ruminant sector on how to tackle the challenge of demonstrating responsible antibiotic stewardship.

Forming part of a wider, collaborative initiative, the results will help identify the types of data available so that challenges with data collection can be better understood and addressed.

Anyone working in the UK farming sector, including vets and farmers,is encouraged to complete the survey, which is available at app.onlinesurveys.jisc.ac.uk