81860 (2024). Hon Jo Luxton to the Minister for Biosecurity

81860 (2024). Hon Jo Luxton to the Minister for Biosecurity: What is the timeframe for Biosecurity NZ from sampling to receiving a positive or negative result back on bird flu?

Hon Andrew Hoggard: I am advised swabs are collected from birds and sent to MPI's Animal Health Laboratory for testing. Samples are screened to identify influenza and the 'H' type using PCR methods, and further characterised using whole genome sequencing. Results are usually possible within 48 hours of the first report, but this may take longer in some instances.