Dear Fleur Francois,
Director, Diagnostics, Readiness and Surveillance

I made a request earlier "Protocol and results for tests done to detect chicken flu recently at Otago chicken farm" in which you reported that the cycle count was 45. Yet the plateau is at about 32. So why go to 45?

My reference is:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk...

Figure 1 on page 5 shows the plateau.

Therefore. In the recent testing for the Otago chicken farms, what would be the result at 32 cycles?

Also, does your PCR equipment plateau the same as per figure 1 on page 5? Are you able to run such a calibration test?

My understanding is that science does require the equipment be calibrated and thus ensure results are repeatable on different equipment.

Yours faithfully,

Stephan Hokke