The first person has died of bird flu in the United States, the Louisiana Department of Health confirmed on Monday. The patient, who was exposed to non-commercial backyard flock and wild birds, was over age 65 and had underlying medical conditions, officials said.

Shares in vaccine developers jumped on Tuesday after the US reported its first human death from the H5 strain of bird flu. Moderna’s stock rose 6 per cent, Novavax gained more than 12 per cent and CureVac’s shares advanced 10 per cent.