Moderna has been awarded approximately $590 million from the federal government to help speed up the development of an mRNA-based bird flu vaccine, health officials said.

The U.S. government has awarded Moderna $590 million to advance the development of its bird flu vaccine, as the country doubles down on efforts to tackle increasing infections in humans.

As fears grow of a possible bird flu pandemic in humans, the federal government is pouring more money into the development of new vaccines, including an mRNA shot.

The Connecticut Department of Agriculture shared on Friday that avian flu was detected in a flock of birds in New London County.

In addition to the isolation measures, birds were killed to prevent the highly-contagious virus from spreading, officials said.

"The affected premises is currently under quarantine, and the birds were depopulated to prevent disease spread," MDARD said in a statement issued Thursday afternoon.Start the day smarter. Get all the news you need in your inbox each morning.