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Ricin Facts and Incident Survival
Information
More information is available at the
CDC Ricin
page.
The information below is courtesy of the CDC.
Please visit the CDC web site for more information.
What ricin is
-
Ricin is a poison.
-
It can be in the form
of a powder, a mist, or a pellet, or it can be dissolved in water
or weak acid.
-
It is a stable
substance. For example, it is not affected much by extreme
conditions such as very hot or very cold temperatures.
How you
could be exposed to ricin
-
It would take a
deliberate act to make ricin and use it to poison people.
Accidental exposure to ricin is highly unlikely.
-
People can breathe in
ricin mist or powder and be poisoned.
-
Ricin can also get
into water or food and then be swallowed.
-
Pellets of ricin, or
ricin dissolved in a liquid, can be injected into people’s bodies.
-
Depending on the
route of exposure (such as injection or inhalation), as little as
500 micrograms of ricin could be enough to kill an adult. A
500-microgram dose of ricin would be about the size of the head of
a pin. A greater amount would likely be needed to kill people if
the ricin were swallowed.
-
In 1978, Georgi
Markov, a Bulgarian writer and journalist who was living in
London, died after he was attacked by a man with an umbrella. The
umbrella had been rigged to inject a poison ricin pellet under
Markov’s skin.
-
Some reports have
indicated that ricin may have been used in the Iran-Iraq war
during the 1980s and that quantities of ricin were found in Al
Qaeda caves in Afghanistan.
-
Ricin poisoning is
not contagious. It cannot be spread from person to person through
casual contact.
How
ricin works
-
Ricin works by
getting inside the cells of a person’s body and preventing the
cells from making the proteins they need. Without the proteins,
cells die. Eventually this is harmful to the whole body, and death
may occur.
-
Effects of ricin
poisoning depend on whether ricin was inhaled, ingested, or
injected.
Signs
and symptoms of ricin exposure
-
The major symptoms of
ricin poisoning depend on the route of exposure and the dose
received, though many organs may be affected in severe cases.
-
Initial symptoms of
ricin poisoning by inhalation may occur within 8 hours of
exposure. Following ingestion of ricin, initial symptoms typically
occur in less than 6 hours.
-
Inhalation:
Within a few hours of inhaling significant amounts of ricin, the
likely symptoms would be respiratory distress (difficulty
breathing), fever, cough, nausea, and tightness in the chest.
Heavy sweating may follow as well as fluid building up in the
lungs (pulmonary edema). This would make breathing even more
difficult, and the skin might turn blue. Excess fluid in the lungs
would be diagnosed by x-ray or by listening to the chest with a
stethoscope. Finally, low blood pressure and respiratory failure
may occur, leading to death. In cases of known exposure to ricin,
people having respiratory symptoms that started within 12 hours of
inhaling ricin should seek medical care.
-
Ingestion:
If someone swallows a significant amount of ricin, he or she would
develop vomiting and diarrhea that may become bloody. Severe
dehydration may be the result, followed by low blood pressure.
Other signs or symptoms may include hallucinations, seizures, and
blood in the urine. Within several days, the person’s liver,
spleen, and kidneys might stop working, and the person could die.
-
Skin and eye
exposure: Ricin in the powder or mist form can cause redness and
pain of the skin and the eyes.
-
Death from ricin
poisoning could take place within 36 to 72 hours of exposure,
depending on the route of exposure (inhalation, ingestion, or
injection) and the dose received. If death has not occurred in 3
to 5 days, the victim usually recovers.
-
Showing these signs
and symptoms does not necessarily mean that a person has been
exposed to ricin.
How
ricin poisoning is treated
Because no antidote
exists for ricin, the most important factor is avoiding ricin
exposure in the first place. If exposure cannot be avoided, the most
important factor is then getting the ricin off or out of the body as
quickly as possible. Ricin poisoning is treated by giving victims
supportive medical care to minimize the effects of the poisoning.
The types of supportive medical care would depend on several
factors, such as the route by which victims were poisoned (that is,
whether poisoning was by inhalation, ingestion, or skin or eye
exposure). Care could include such measures as helping victims
breathe, giving them intravenous fluids, giving them medications to
treat conditions such as seizure and low blood pressure, flushing
their stomachs with activated charcoal (if the ricin has been very
recently ingested), or washing out their eyes with water if their
eyes are irritated.
How you
can know whether you have been exposed to ricin
-
If we suspect that
people have inhaled ricin, a potential clue would be that a large
number of people who had been close to each other suddenly
developed fever, cough, and excess fluid in their lungs. These
symptoms could be followed by severe breathing problems and
possibly death.
-
No widely available,
reliable test exists to confirm that a person has been exposed to
ricin.
How you
can protect yourself, and what to do if you are exposed to ricin
-
First, get fresh
air by leaving the area where the ricin was released. Moving to an
area with fresh air is a good way to reduce the possibility of
death from exposure to ricin.
-
If the ricin
release was outside, move away from the area where the ricin was
released.
-
If the ricin
release was indoors, get out of the building.
-
If you are near a
release of ricin, emergency coordinators may tell you to either
evacuate the area or to “shelter in place” inside a building to
avoid being exposed to the chemical. For more information on
evacuation during a chemical emergency, see
Facts About Evacuation. For
more information on sheltering in place during a chemical
emergency, see
Facts About Sheltering in Place.
-
If you think you may
have been exposed to ricin, you should remove your clothing,
rapidly wash your entire body with soap and water, and get medical
care as quickly as possible.
-
Removing your
clothing:
-
Quickly take off
clothing that may have ricin on it. Any clothing that has to be
pulled over the head should be cut off the body instead of
pulled over the head.
-
If you are helping
other people remove their clothing, try to avoid touching any
contaminated areas, and remove the clothing as quickly as
possible.
-
Washing yourself:
-
As quickly as
possible, wash any ricin from your skin with large amounts of
soap and water. Washing with soap and water will help protect
people from any chemicals on their bodies.
-
If your eyes are
burning or your vision is blurred, rinse your eyes with plain
water for 10 to 15 minutes. If you wear contacts, remove them
and put them with the contaminated clothing. Do not put the
contacts back in your eyes (even if they are not disposable
contacts). If you wear eyeglasses, wash them with soap and
water. You can put your eyeglasses back on after you wash them.
-
Disposing of your
clothes:
-
After you have
washed yourself, place your clothing inside a plastic bag. Avoid
touching contaminated areas of the clothing. If you can't avoid
touching contaminated areas, or you aren't sure where the
contaminated areas are, wear rubber gloves, turn the bag inside
out and use it to pick up the clothing, or put the clothing in
the bag using tongs, tool handles, sticks, or similar objects.
Anything that touches the contaminated clothing should also be
placed in the bag. If you wear contacts, put them in the plastic
bag, too.
-
Seal the bag, and
then seal that bag inside another plastic bag. Disposing of your
clothing in this way will help protect you and other people from
any chemicals that might be on your clothes.
-
When the local or
state health department or emergency personnel arrive, tell them
what you did with your clothes. The health department or
emergency personnel will arrange for further disposal. Do not
handle the plastic bags yourself.
-
For more information
about cleaning your body and disposing of your clothes after a
chemical release, see
Chemical Agents: Facts About Personal Cleaning and Disposal of
Contaminated Clothing.
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If someone has
ingested ricin, do not induce vomiting or give fluids to drink.
-
Seek medical
attention right away. Dial 911 and explain what has happened.
Ricin
Questions and Answers
Please visit the
CDC Questions and Answers About Ricin Page
for more information.
Only a select number of questions are considered here.
How toxic is ricin? How do people get sick from it?
Following ingestion (swallowing) of ricin, initial symptoms
typically occur in less than 6 hours. Ricin is very toxic. It works
by getting inside the cells of a person's body and preventing the
cells from making the proteins they need. Without the proteins,
cells die. Eventually this is harmful to the whole body, and death
may occur. Effects of ricin poisoning depend on whether ricin was
inhaled, ingested, or injected.
What should I do if I feel I'm experiencing symptoms of
ricin exposure?
Seek medical attention right away.
Is it true that there's no cure/antidote for ricin? What
can be done to help people who have been exposed to ricin? Are
treatments available?
It is true that no antidote exists for ricin. Because no antidote
exists, the most important factor is avoiding ricin exposure in the
first place. If exposure cannot be avoided, the most important
factor is then getting the ricin off or out of the body as quickly
as possible. Ricin poisoning is treated by giving victims supportive
medical care to minimize the effects of the poisoning. The types of
supportive medical care would depend on several factors, such as the
route by which victims were poisoned (that is, whether poisoning was
by inhalation, ingestion, or skin or eye exposure). Care could
include such measures as helping victims breathe, giving them
intravenous fluids (fluids given through a needle inserted into a
vein), giving them medications to treat conditions such as seizure
and low blood pressure, flushing their stomachs with activated
charcoal (if the ricin has been very recently ingested), or washing
out their eyes with water if their eyes are irritated.
s ricin poisoning contagious?
No, ricin poisoning is not contagious. It cannot spread
from person to person through casual contact.
Can ricin be "aerosolized" like anthrax?
Yes, ricin in the form of a fine powder can be suspended in air.
Has anyone ever died after being exposed to ricin?
Yes, several deaths have resulted after a victim was
injected with ricin. People also have been poisoned with ricin after
eating castor beans. However, most cases of eating castor beans do
not result in poisoning, because it is difficult to release the
ricin from castor beans. Also, ricin is not as well absorbed through
the gastrointestinal tract when compared to injection or inhalation.
Where can I find general information about ricin?
See the
ricin fact sheet.
Where can I find general information about ricin in
Spanish?
See the
ricin fact sheet in Spanish.
Is there a TTY phone line available where I can get
information about ricin?
Yes, you can call the CDC TTY phone line at 888-232-6348.
What form is ricin found in? Is it a powder?
Ricin can be in the form of a powder, a mist, or a pellet, or it can
be dissolved in water or weak acid (from the
ricin fact sheet
).
Will the irradiation equipment used by the postal service
have any effect on ricin?
Postal irradiation may have some effect, but CDC still considers
ricin to be fully functional and just as dangerous even after
irradiation.
Where can I find information about personal protective
equipment and cleanup for ricin?
See the
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health emergency
response card.
If I was present where ricin was located, could I have
carried it home? Is my house safe?
If ricin was released into the air, some ricin might have gotten
onto the clothing of people who were present and might have then
been transported on the clothing to their homes. The likelihood is
very low in this instance that enough ricin would have gotten onto
your clothing and would have been transported home with you for your
health to be threatened. However, any exposed clothing should be
handled according to the general guidelines given in the
“Personal Cleaning and Disposal of Contaminated Clothes” guidelines.
How do I know my family is safe?
Ricin poisoning is not contagious. People who were not present where
the ricin was found are not likely to have been exposed at levels
high enough to negatively affect their health.
What are the long-term effects of ricin exposure?
No long-term direct effects are known to exist from ricin exposure
that did not result in symptoms. Following severe ricin poisoning,
the damage done to vital organs may be permanent or have lasting
effects.
Are certain populations more vulnerable to the health
effects of ricin exposure, such as children, pregnant women, the
elderly, people who are immunocompromised, or people with
respiratory or gastrointestinal (GI) tract illnesses?
Although it is unknown whether these populations are at higher risk,
the possibility of higher risk does exist. People who have existing
illnesses of the respiratory or GI tract may have pre-existing
tissue irritation or damage as a result of their illness. If this
damaged or irritated tissue is exposed to ricin, the result may be
further injury and greater absorption of the ricin toxin.
Is it possible that health effects may not occur until
more than 72 hours after exposure to ricin?
The information that exists on ricin poisoning in humans is
extremely limited. Much of what we know about ricin poisoning comes
from animal studies and only a few human cases. However, enough
information exists on ricin poisoning by ingestion (swallowing) to
say that it is extremely unlikely that the onset of signs and
symptoms of ricin poisoning by ingestion would occur more than 10
hours after exposure. Much less information exists on ricin
poisoning by inhalation (breathing in ricin), but initial poisoning
symptoms are very unlikely to begin more than 24 hours after
exposure.
What will happen to personal belongings exposed to ricin?
Personal belongings should be handled according to the
“Personal Cleaning and Disposal of Contaminated Clothes” guidelines.
How you
can get more information about ricin
You can contact one of
the following:
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