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Ricin. Center for Food Security and Public Health Iowa State University - 2004 Toxin Castor plant - Ricinus communis − From processing waste  Castor.

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Presentation on theme: "Ricin. Center for Food Security and Public Health Iowa State University - 2004 Toxin Castor plant - Ricinus communis − From processing waste  Castor."— Presentation transcript:

1 Ricin

2 Center for Food Security and Public Health Iowa State University - 2004 Toxin Castor plant - Ricinus communis − From processing waste  Castor beans for oil − Very stable − In several forms  Powder, mist, pellet, dissolved in water or weak acid − Irreversibly blocks protein synthesis − Potential medical uses

3 History

4 Center for Food Security and Public Health Iowa State University - 2004 History World War I − Considered for use as weapon by US 1978: London − Assassination of Bulgarian exile, Georgi Markov 1991: Minnesota − Patriot’s Council plot to kill US Marshal

5 Center for Food Security and Public Health Iowa State University - 2004 History Iran-Iraq war − Reports of ricin use − Found in Al Qaeda caves in Afghanistan 2003 − Ricin found in London apartment 2004 − Toxin found in Senator’s office − Found in letter; source unknown

6 Transmission

7 Center for Food Security and Public Health Iowa State University - 2004 Transmission Three routes − Inhalation − Ingestion − Injection Person-to-person transmission does not occur

8 Human Disease

9 Center for Food Security and Public Health Iowa State University - 2004 Signs and Symptoms Inhalation − Incubation less than 8 hours Ingestion − Incubation few hours to few days Injection − Incubation immediate to hours

10 Center for Food Security and Public Health Iowa State University - 2004 Clinical Symptoms Inhalation − Cough, weakness, fever, nausea, muscle aches, chest pain and cyanosis − Pulmonary edema, 18-24 hours after inhalation − Severe respiratory distress − Death from hypoxemia, 36-72 hours

11 Center for Food Security and Public Health Iowa State University - 2004 Clinical Symptoms Ingestion − Least toxic form − Less toxic if castor beans swallowed whole − Severe GI symptoms, 1-2 hours − Rapid heartbeat − Internal bleeding − Vascular collapse − Death occurs in 3 days or more

12 Center for Food Security and Public Health Iowa State University - 2004 Clinical Symptoms Injection − Local pain and necrosis at site of injection − Systemic signs similar to those of ingestion

13 Center for Food Security and Public Health Iowa State University - 2004 Diagnosis Based on clinical symptoms ELISA − Serum or respiratory secretions Immunohistochemistry − Tissues Serology for retrospective diagnosis − Ricin is very immunogenic

14 Center for Food Security and Public Health Iowa State University - 2004 Treatment No treatment, vaccine or antisera currently available Supportive care − Dependent on route of exposure − Ventilator − Gastric lavage or cathartics

15 Animals and Ricin

16 Center for Food Security and Public Health Iowa State University - 2004 Animals Affected Affects all domestic animals Horses most susceptible − Lethal dose 0.01% of body weight in seeds Chickens, ducks and frogs somewhat insensitive to toxin

17 Center for Food Security and Public Health Iowa State University - 2004 Clinical Signs Inhalation − Pulmonary edema − Respiratory distress − Death 36-72 hours

18 Center for Food Security and Public Health Iowa State University - 2004 Clinical Signs Ingestion − Most common route Initial clinical signs − Frequent and violent vomiting, diarrhea, depression, weakness and shortness of breath − Salivation, trembling and incordination Some affected animals may recover − With or without treatment

19 Center for Food Security and Public Health Iowa State University - 2004 Diagnosis and Treatment Diagnosis and treatment in animals similar to humans Experimental vaccines and antitoxins promising but not yet available

20 Center for Food Security and Public Health Iowa State University - 2004 Control and Protection Research on vaccines and antisera Decontaminate exposed skin − Soap and water and/or − 0.1% sodium hypochlorite (bleach) Protective mask − Effective against aerosol exposure Standard precautions − Should be used by healthcare workers

21 Center for Food Security and Public Health Iowa State University - 2004 Ricin as a Biological Weapon Extreme ease of production Widely available Relatively high toxicity Currently no treatment − Supportive care only

22 Center for Food Security and Public Health Iowa State University - 2004 Acknowledgments Development of this presentation was funded by a grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to the Center for Food Security and Public Health at Iowa State University.

23 Center for Food Security and Public Health Iowa State University - 2004 Acknowledgments Author: Co-author: Reviewer: Jamie Snow, DVM, MPH Radford Davis, DVM, MPH Jean Gladon, BS


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