Delisting looms large for small caps.(South Florida's start up businesses finding it hard to survive under Nasdaq's new rules)

South Florida small caps may be experiencing an epidemic of Nasdaq delistings.

Just three weeks after Nasdaq-Amex delisted Miami's Med/Waste for failing to meet net asset requirements, the market removed Plantation's Viragen for failing to maintain the minimum bid price of $1 a share.

The recent delistings of Intelligent Medical Imaging of Palm Beach Gardens and Miami Subs brings the number of South Florida's Nasdaq fatalities to four this year - and several others are trading at $1 to $2.

Nasdaq's tough new rules require that companies maintain net tangible assets of $2 million and a $1 stock price for a minimum of 30 days.

While the …