UGA veterinary diagnostic labs seek $5.5 million for planning to replace aging Athens facility

Jesse Hostetter, senior associate dean and executive director of the Georgia Veterinary Diagnostic Labs, told the Senate Natural Resources Committee that both the Athens and Tifton diagnostic labs play an essential role in animal‑disease surveillance but that the Athens facility no longer meets modern federal biosafety and biocontainment standards.

Hostetter said a recent accreditation review identified deficiencies in biosafety, HVAC, work‑flow separation and space that limit the labs’ ability to adopt modern diagnostics and scale surge testing during outbreaks. He warned that failing to modernize could risk AVDL accreditation and the labs’ National Animal Health Laboratory Network level‑1 status, which carries federal testing responsibilities and funding.

To address those risks, UGA asked the committee for $5.5 million in FY27 to complete planning and design for the first of two construction phases of a modern, accredited animal‑disease diagnostic laboratory (ABDL). Hostetter described the $5.5 million as a planning step that would produce accurate architectural and engineering plans, a cost estimate and a construction sequence so the state would be shovel‑ready when capital funds are available. “The total cost for the first phase of the project is estimated at approximately $75,000,000,” he said.

Why it matters: the labs are Georgia’s early warning system for animal disease. Modernization would preserve in‑state testing capacity for poultry, cattle, swine, companion animals and wildlife and sustain federal partnerships that provide both technical support and funding.

What comes next: Hostetter said UGA has prior concept planning support ($100,000 in FY24) and will seek the committee’s support for the FY27 design request; he noted site plans envision locating the new facility near College Station Road adjacent to the teaching hospital to improve access for livestock trailers and lab operations.

Source: Testimony by Jesse Hostetter, UGA College of Veterinary Medicine (SEG 2614–SEG 2696).