Live bird markets (LBMs), in which the virus has been frequently detected in both disease-endemic and epidemic regions [3, 4, 5] , are suspected to play a major role in the epidemiology of HPAIV H5N1 [6, 7] . The LBM system provides consumers with freshly slaughtered birds. It is a dead-end for poultry, but not necessarily for viruses. LBMs have been shown to contribute to the spread of, and the possible maintenance of, HPAIV H5N1 within the poultry sector [8] . Zoonotic transfer to humans has also been documented in LBMs [9, 10] .