A career dedicated to poultry health

Dr. Louise Dufour-Zavala, Executive Director of the Georgia Poultry Laboratory Network (GPLN), shares her perspectives on the future of poultry health.

With decades of experience in poultry health and diagnostics, she and her team play a critical role in disease monitoring, surveillance, and laboratory diagnostics for the poultry industry in Georgia, USA.

In this interview, she shares insights into GPLN’s mission, current testing trends in the United States, and how diagnostic laboratories continue to evolve
in response to emerging disease challenges.

"We thoroughly enjoy working with our BioChek partners. They have a fantastic product line, are probably the most responsive vendor team for any issue we might have, and are very pleasant to work with."

Dr. Louise Dufour-Zavala

Mission and role in the poultry industry

GPLN provides veterinary diagnostic and monitoring services to both commercial and private poultry owners. The laboratory works closely with industry partners, government agencies, allied industries, trade associations, and other organizations to support the prevention, management, and control of poultry diseases in Georgia.

The laboratory also plays a central role in Avian Influenza and Exotic Newcastle Disease emergency preparedness programs and administers the National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP) as the official state agency for Georgia.

The future of Avian Influenza surveillance

The ongoing presence of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) continues to shape disease monitoring in the United States. While the future course of the disease remains uncertain, Dr. Dufour-Zavala notes that both government agencies and the poultry industry have become highly prepared after several years of responding to outbreaks: “Being in the fourth year of this outbreak, our US and state governments and poultry industry are well prepared to continue responding as we always have, using stamping out as our strategy.”

Extensive surveillance systems in wildlife, livestock, and poultry flocks will remain essential, and laboratories must remain ready to adapt if monitoring strategies evolve.

EXPERT INSIGHT

Read the full interview with Dr. Louise Dufour-Zavala, and her expert insights on diagnostics, industry collaboration and the future of poultry health.