The U.S. will rebuild a stockpile of bird flu vaccines for poultry that match the strain of the virus circulating in commercial flocks and wild birds, the Department of Agriculture said on Wednesday,

Moderna surged as investors turned eyed potential demand for a vaccine to protect against bird flu after the US reported its first death from the virus.

The first human death from bird flu in the United States has intensified calls for the government to ramp up efforts to stave off the threat of another pandemic -- particularly ahead of Donald Trump's return to the White House.

Moderna stock was on track to see a weekly gain of 10% as of Wednesday following the first reported bird flu death in the US.