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China tightens laboratory animal rules amid calls for coronavirus lab-leak probe
- Science ministry releases draft update on safety, body disposal and environmental controls in experimental facilities
- Proposed regulations too vague to guarantee improvement, biosafety expert says
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China is updating its lab animal testing laws as it tightens up on animal use in the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic and allegations that the pathogen leaked from a laboratory.
The draft changes to the Regulation on the Administration of Laboratory Animals include expanded rules on safety and infectious disease control in labs, as well as specifications on genetic modifications.
The draft, released by the Ministry of Science and Technology on Tuesday for public consultation until the end of the month, signals China is catching up on animal use and welfare, according to an Australia-based animal law specialist. The regulations were introduced in 1988 and have been updated three times.
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The draft proposes a new chapter on “safety management” and new sections on vehicles used to transport lab animals and environmental controls in the facilities.
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“The bodies and tissues of animals used in experiments should be disposed of safely. Animals used in experiments cannot go back on the market. The treatment process needs to be fully traceable,” the draft says.
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