What Is Ricin?

CDC says ricin is a poison found naturally in castor beans, and that if castor beans are chewed and swallowed, the ricin that comes out can cause injury. It works by getting inside the body's cells and preventing them from making the proteins they need, so the cells die, which eventually harms the whole body and may cause death. CDC says ricin poisoning is not contagious and accidental exposure is not likely, though people can also be exposed through contact with someone who has ricin on their body or clothes.

Symptoms depend on how it enters the body. CDC says that if ricin is breathed in, first symptoms may appear as early as 4 to 8 hours or as late as 24 hours after exposure, starting with difficulty breathing, fever, cough, nausea and chest tightness, and may worsen into heavy sweating, fluid in the lungs, low blood pressure and respiratory failure. If it is swallowed, first symptoms usually occur in less than 10 hours and include vomiting, diarrhea that may be bloody, severe dehydration and low blood pressure, with possible seizures and liver, spleen and kidney failure. It says ricin is unlikely to be absorbed through normal skin, but touching ricin powders or products may cause redness and pain of the skin and eyes.

CDC advises anyone who thinks they were exposed to take off their clothes, wash their body with lots of soap and water, rinse burning or blurry eyes with plain water for 10 to 15 minutes, and get medical care as quickly as possible, and says someone who swallowed ricin should not force vomiting or drink fluids and should call 911. It says no cure exists, so patients receive supportive care based on how they were exposed, which could include help breathing, intravenous fluids, medicines for seizures and low blood pressure, activated charcoal if ricin was very recently swallowed, and eye washing.