• Embed Doc
  • Copy Link
  • Readcast
  • Collections
  • CommentGo Back
Download
 
RicinRicin:Evaluation of Ricin TherapiesKaty Lunger 0902BSBD6409040University of Maryland University College4/12/20091
 
RicinTable of ContentsAbstract……………………………………………………………………………………3Introduction………………………………………………………………………………..4Historical background……………………………………………………………………..4Weaponization…………………………………………………………………………….5Level of threat……………………………………………………………………..6Future use in an attack…………………………………………………………….7Biological properties of ricin……………………………………………………………...8Mechanism of action………………………………………………………………8Toxicity …………………………………………………………………………...9Clinical presentations…………………………………………………………….10Detection and diagnosis………………………………………………………….11Prevention………………………………………………………………………………..11Traditional and current preventions……………………………………………...12Vaccines………………………………………………………………………….13Treatment……………………………………………………………….………………..15Traditional and current therapies………………………………………………...15Post-exposure treatment………………………………………………………….16Government/Medical response action plan………………………………………………17Weaknesses of current prevention and treatment………………………………………..19Conclusions and future approaches…….………………………………………………..20References………………………………………………………………………………..23Appendix…………………………………………………………………………………29Table 1. Attacks and incidents involving ricin. …………………………………29Figure 1. Structure of ricin toxin (3Dchem.com, 2003). ………………………..30Figure 2. Mechanism of ricin (Audi et al., 2005). ………………………………30Figure 3. Castor beans (Audi et al., 2005). ……………………………………...31Figure 4. Countermeasure communication diagram (DHHS, 2006) …………...31Glossary……………………………………………………………….…………………322
 
Ricin
Abstract
With the growing awareness of the threat of biological and chemical weapons as potentially devastating tools of terror, agencies within the United States government haveidentified ricin toxin as one for which therapies are virtually non-existent. As a weaponthat is known to have been produced by enemies of the United States, as well as used onat least two occasions, prevention and therapy of ricin poisoning must be addressed.Although ricin itself is not considered a “weapon of mass destruction,” it can be readily produced and obtained, and is therefore a viable biological threat. Current detection, prevention, and therapeutic protocols for ricin exposure are rudimentary at best.Antitoxin and vaccination research is showing some positive results with animal models,however, there is not yet a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved treatment or  prophylactic for humans.3
of 00

Leave a Comment

You must be to leave a comment.
Submit
Characters: ...
You must be to leave a comment.
Submit
Characters: ...