Recent articles in this Journal have reported the human infections with highly pathogenic (HP) H7N9 avian influenza virus (AIV) in Shenzhen city of China, and compared the clinical and virological characteristics of human infection with HP-H7N9 and low pathogenic (LP) H7N9 viruses.1,2 Shenzhen is an international port city located at the Pearl River delta region and on the East Asian-Australian migration flyway. It provides an ideal environment for the emergence and circulation of novel influenza viruses with potential cross-species transmission due to the unique ecosystem, presence of live poultry markets (LPMs) and Cantonese dietary habits.