The Ministry of Agriculture has warned labs nationwide not to experiment on dangerous pathogenic microbes without first obtaining approval.

An urgent notice issued by the ministry Thursday said experiments on such microbes should only be carried out under close supervision from epidemic prevention authorities.

But officials were keen to stress the notice did not mean there was any imminent danger to the public.

"There has not been an outbreak of any serious disease. We just want to stress biosafety," a veterinary official told China Daily.

According to the official, some research organizations and universities have been experimenting on dangerous pathogenic microbes without permission.

"It's dangerous because some of the labs don't have the proper safety equipment or facilities," he said.

The urgent notice, backed by several related departments, demands that labs adhere to the regulations on biological lab management issued last year.

The regulations were formulated after two people were infected with the SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) virus at a lab run by the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (China CDC).

Under the regulations, China grades its biological labs into four levels.

Labs in the first and second grades are prohibited from conducting experiments on contagious pathogenic microbes that can cause severe diseases in humans or animals. Labs in the third and fourth grades can do experiments on such microbes only with the specific permission of health and veterinary authorities.

Yesterday's notice requires biological labs abide by biosafety regulations and warns that even the smallest incidence of negligence will not be tolerated.

According to the rules set out last year, both the head of the institution that owns the lab and the operational head of the lab will be held accountable for any breaches of safety regulations.

(China Daily June 17, 2005)