Ricin

Feature

With recent events involving letters poisoned with ricin, local health departments may be evaluating their role in a response to this type of scenario. The resources and training activities below can aid in preparedness planning. More »

What You Need to Know

General Information:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Updates about the current situation
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Ricin information for health professionals
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Ricin information for the general public (Chinese, French, German, Spanish and/or Tagalog)
Congressional Research Service
Ricin: Technical Background and Potential Role in Terrorism (PDF)
Hazardous Substances Data Bank from TOXNET
National Library of Medicine's comprehensive record on ricin
WISER (Wireless Information System for Emergency Responders)
Ricin record on webWISER

Resources from local and state health departments:

Cape May County Health Department, New Jersey
Ricin Fact Sheet
District of Columbia Health Emergency Preparedness
Ricin: Frequently Asked Questions
Michigan Preparedness
Ricin: Information for Health Care Providers (PDF)
New York State Department of Health
The Facts About Ricin
Orange County Public Health, California
Ricin - Information and Recommendations
Pennsylvania Department of Health
Ricin as a Chemical Terrorist Agent
Wisconsin Division of Public Health
Ricin Poisoning Fact Sheet (PDF)

For preparedness training:

NACCHO's Advance Practice Centers
Bio-Pack Toolkit