We read with interest the report that showed the recent emergence of a novel reassortant of H5N6 subtype highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV). H5N6 HPAIVs were first detected in Laos in 2013, and they have since widely circulated in poultry and wild birds in several Asian countries, including China. H5N6 HPAIVs have caused 82 confirmed human cases during the years 2014–2022. Among these human cases, 33 (40.2%) were fatal, and 31 occurred in 2021 and 24 occurred in 2022, indicating that the viruses have posed a long-term threat to poultry and humans.