What is Ricin Toxicity?
Ricin is a type of protein that naturally comes from the seeds of the castor oil plant, also known as Ricinus communis. It’s harmful if it’s breathed in, eaten, or injected into the body. In fact, an amount as small as five to ten micrograms per kilogram of body weight can cause death.
What Causes Ricin Toxicity?
Ricin is a type of protein that binds with carbohydrates. It’s formed in the seeds of the castor oil plant. Ricin is harmful and can cause damage if as little as two castor oil plant seeds are eaten, though it’s worth mentioning that some people have managed to survive after consuming up to 30 seeds. It’s also dangerous if it’s inhaled or injected into the body. In fact, a very small amount – only five to ten micrograms for each kilogram of a person’s body weight – can be deadly if inhaled.
Ricin was previously created as a biological weapon by both the United States and former Soviet Union. The plant that produces this substance, the castor oil plant, thrives in warm, tropical climates. Around the globe, we see the production of about two million tons of these seeds every year.
Once the seeds are crushed, we get castor oil, which is used in various industries. It could be used in making lubricants, dyes, preservatives, and some medications. Do remember, however, that after extracting the oil from the seeds, the leftover solid part, or mash, contains approximately 5% ricin by weight. This mash can be made safe and used to enhance soil fertility or to supplement animal-feed when correctly treated.
Risk Factors and Frequency for Ricin Toxicity
If there was a ricin attack, the first warning sign would likely be a group of people who were in the same location at the same time, all having the same symptoms. These symptoms would depend on how they were exposed to the ricin.
- For example, several people suddenly having trouble breathing in the same location might mean they were exposed to ricin through the air.
- If people are experiencing nausea, vomiting, and internal bleeding in their digestive tract, this often indicates that they were exposed to ricin by consuming it.
Signs and Symptoms of Ricin Toxicity
Ricin is a toxic substance that can harm the body in different ways depending on how it enters the body. If it is ingested, or eaten, it can cause symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and bloody vomiting or stools. It can also damage vital organs like the spleen, liver, and kidneys. If ricin is inhaled, it can lead to coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, sore throat, and congestion, potentially leading to fluid build-up in the lungs and pneumonia.
If ricin is injected, symptoms may include redness, hardening of the skin, blisters, leakage from capillaries (tiny blood vessels), and cell death around the injection site. These symptoms can worsen to include seizures, shock, failure of vital organs, fluid build-up in the lungs, and problems with breathing. The onset of these symptoms can vary. If ricin is swallowed, symptoms can start within a few hours. However, if it is inhaled or injected, symptoms can start almost immediately or potentially take several hours to appear.
- Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and bloody vomiting or stools following ingestion
- Potential damage to the spleen, liver, and kidneys following ingestion
- Coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, and sore throat following inhalation
- Potential development of fluid build-up in the lungs and pneumonia following inhalation
- Redness, hardening of the skin, and blisters following injection
- Possible progression to seizures, shock, organ failure, and breathing difficulties
- Varying onset periods, from within a few hours to possibly several hours after exposure
Testing for Ricin Toxicity
If your doctor suspects that you’ve been exposed to ricin, a dangerous compound, they may order several tests. These can include a type of advanced chemical analysis called liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry and immunoassays, which are tests that use the body’s immune response to detect substances.
Beyond these specific tests, your doctor may also look for changes in your blood. These can include leukocytosis, an increase in white blood cells that often suggests an infection or illness, and electrolyte abnormalities, an imbalance in crucial body minerals like sodium or potassium. They may also check for signs of liver or kidney failure or coagulopathy, a condition where the blood clotting process is disturbed.
Additionally, your doctor may order a chest x-ray, especially if you have been exposed to ricin by inhaling it. This test can detect lung damage, such as pulmonary edema, a condition where fluid accumulates in the lungs, or pneumonia, a type of lung infection.
Treatment Options for Ricin Toxicity
If you’re showing symptoms and doctors think you’ve been exposed to ricin, you’ll need to be admitted to the hospital. Ricin exposure can be quite dangerous and there is no specific antidote, but doctors can provide supportive treatments to help manage your symptoms and keep your body functioning as normally as possible.
Treatment for ricin exposure is focused on addressing a variety of health issues that it can cause. If you’re in shock or your electrolyte levels are abnormal, doctors can perform treatments to stabilize your condition. If you’re having trouble breathing or have inhaled ricin, you might need help managing your airway or even need positive-pressure ventilation, which helps get more oxygen into your lungs.
If you’ve swallowed ricin and haven’t started vomiting, doctors might give you activated charcoal. This substance can bind to the ricin in your stomach and keep your body from absorbing it. If it’s been an hour or less since you swallowed the ricin, they might also perform a gastric lavage, where they flush out your stomach to remove the ricin.
You’ll also have various lab tests to monitor your body’s response to the ricin. These might include tests to check your electrolyte levels, blood clotting ability, and kidney and liver function. If any problems are found, such as abnormalities in your electrolytes or blood’s ability to clot, doctors will treat these issues as well.
What else can Ricin Toxicity be?
The following conditions and situations, that might seem unrelated, can actually present similar signs and symptoms and should be considered when identifying the cause of certain illnesses:
- Cellulitis
- Chemotherapeutic drugs
- Capillary leak syndrome
- Staphylococcal enterotoxin B exposure (CBRNE)
- Myocardial infarction (heart attack)
- Pneumonia
- Types of plagues
- Phosgene toxicity
- Q fever
- Salmonella infection
- Shigella infection
- Streptococcus aurea infection
- Tularemia
- Undifferentiated sepsis (generalized infection)
It’s important for doctors to consider these possibilities when making an accurate diagnosis.
