Heartbreaking: Bird flu concerns grow as 1st case in N.B. confirmed – New Brunswick [Video]

The Atlantic Wildlife Institute in New Brunswick has reported its first bird flu case of 2025, calling it “heartbreaking and worrisome.”

A red-breasted merganser, found sick in a backyard in Shediac last month, was taken to the AWI but died shortly after arriving.

“Alive upon arrival, the signs were severe enough to indicate illness, and with our bio-security protocols still in effect, the merganser was immediately put into quarantine where she passed a short time later,” the AWI posted on Facebook.

Tests showed the bird had avian flu, although a final confirmation will be done by a national lab in Winnipeg.

The virus has also been found in other birds in nearby provinces, including Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island.

“This bird was found right around the same time as a large die off of Canada Geese on P.E.I. was detected,” the AWI said.

Bird flu has been spreading in Canada since 2021, …