National Experimental Animal Industry Survey And Development Strategies

Objective:In order to survey the magnitude of production and usage of laboratory (lab) animals in China, understand the current status of the development of lab animal science, and support data and information for the government's decision-making, we launched a national survey from 2006.Methods:The survey tables include the information of institutions, administration, production, usage, staff, education, facilities and environment, and animal welfare, etc. Besides this, we also visited websites including administration office or institutions from some developed countries and every provinces in China, such as Department of Agriculture, NIH, IACUC, AALAS, AAALAC in United States; Home Office, LASA in United Kingdom; MHLW, MEXT, JALAS in Japan, etc. Some search engine including Baidu, Google are also used to search Chinese and English information of lab animal resources. Before 2006, there are five national surveys performed by Ministry of Health (MOH), Ministry of Science & Technology (MOST), and Chinese Association for Lab Animal Sciences (CALAS), and the data was included in this report. There are many papers with the content of lab animal administration, policies, resource, education, and animal welfare, etc. We use the wanfang data, CNKI database for Chinese version papers, and PubMed for English version papers. Some unpublished data are also included. By telephone., we also contacted some specialists and officers to confirm information. At last, we tried to make a sound conclusion from vary source of information.Results:During 1985-1986, the Chinese Agriculture University sponsored two classes for undergraduate students to study laboratory animal science and started the college education. While in 1992-1996, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) funded a collaboration project for lab animal staff training between Japan and China. About 150 professional scholars from provinces of China were trained by Japanese lab animal specialists. And this accelerated the development of lab animal science in these provinces with advanced knowledge and techniques. We can propose that the quality of professional staff is the first factor to promote the development of lab animal science. 29 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions set up provincial administration committee or office of lab animal (AOLA) and provincial association for lab animal sciences to strength the administration and continue education on lab anima science. Most colleges of medicine, pharmacy, veterinary, and bio-techniques, set up lab animal centers, department or even institution to supply lab animals. Most of them started scientific research and education. 29 provinces established AOL As with specialized manager and tipstaff to deal with lab animal producer and user licenses and personal license to strength administration. In the meanwhile, MOST constituted 10 regulations and guidelines with the emphasis on administration, license system, lab animal seed (seed means lab animals who undertakes breeding to expand the line, which is also named "founder") center and resource bases (resource means maintaining large colony animals and supplying for use), quality control network, and animal welfare. Accordingly,29 provinces, municipalities, autonomous regions issued regulations, department documents to regulation the lab animal activities in their area. Especially for Beijing Municipality Administration Office of Lab Animal (BAOLA) become a part of the government after the Beijing Municipality Administration Statute of Lab Animals got approved by Beijing Municipality People's Congress and become local law. BAOLA takes great role in the administration and license system of lab animal industry in Beijing. There are many institutions deal with lab animal without licenses. Provincial governments show their concern to strength administration. Beside Beijing, Hubei and Yunnan provinces legislates administration statute of lab animals to be local law. More provinces including Heilongjiang, Guangdong, and Jiangsu are proposed to legislate for local law for lab animal.MOST funded seven national seed center and resource bases, two level quality control network to assure the quality control of lab animals.29 provinces started lab animal license system, and more than 70% institutions get accredited by government with licenses. The animal strains in national seed center are rodent animals, gene modified mice, rabbits, mini-pigs, birds, dogs, non-human primates. There will be some more kinds of strains added including aquatic, wild animals, demotic animals, and low class animals. In China, six national lab animal quality detection centers are set up in Microbiology, Genetics, Pathology, Environment, and Nutrition.26 provincial lab animal quality detection units in 23 provinces are established nearly covered all the country.In our survey, the production amount of lab animals is reach 19 millions, and usage to be 16 millions. While the number in Europe Union amounts to 12.1 million in 2005 in the 25 Member States. The large amount of lab animals and environment make it be of great necessary to strength the administration. Although there is still exist a distance between China and some developed countries, China is becoming a big country in the produce and use of lab animals. In recent years, the import and export of lab animals are increasing enormously. Scientists in China cultured many Chinese specialized lab animal strains, such as mini-pigs, aquatic animals, dogs, cats, and wild animals. MOST also improved the development of lab animal websites and animal welfare. Followed by MOST,13 provinces, municipalities, autonomous regions established provincial lab animal centers and websites to deliver information. Some of them also pay great attention on animal welfare, such as BAOLA issued "Guideline of Beijing' Municipality on Review of Welfare & Ethics of Lab Animal", and contents of animal welfare and biosafety are also added in the local laws in Hubei, and Yunnan provinces.Many organizations or universities strengthened education and training, explored the international scientific exchange and collaboration.73 colleges of medicine, pharmacy,15 of veterinary, and bio-techniques, open courses of lab animal science for graduated students and 13 of them to under graduated students.17 well developed universities started education on graduated student, while just 8 universities or colleges started college education to under graduate students and technological students. The personal license improved the quality of lab animal staff by training courses. In China the education levels of lab animal staff is increasing with the high developed college education. All the staff are required to take a training course and pass the exam before they receive a personal license to handle animals, which ensure them that they have basic knowledge to obey the regulations and meet the standards.Conclusions:LAS in China developes fast in recent twenty years and went the routh of developed countries for more than fifty years. When compared with some developed countries, the whole level of lab animal industry is dropped behind for about ten years, including loosen administration, low quality of lab animals, less strains, low level industrialization, etc. The government should increase the investment or policies in lab animal industry, constitute more regulations, broaden the project and quality control, improve the quality of lab animals, and develop the higher education on comparative medicine or lab animal medicine to improve the quality of professional staff. Universities of medicine, pharmacology, traditional Chinese medicine, veterinary, and bio-technology should set higher education. The lab animal industry will be developed into standardized, industrialized, and socialized with legal system.The Chinese Association for Laboratory Animal Science (CALAS) should take the responsibility to the development of lab animal industry. Therefore, we make this report with national surveys and vary source of information to illuminate the current status of lab animal science in China with research and suggestions. It is the first national survey for lab animal industry covering every aspect and it will very usful for decision makers.