Ricin Easy to Make, Very Poisonous

"You would have to back a truck in there to get enough mixed in with large amounts of food so it wouldn't be diluted out," Evans said.

Symptoms of ricin poisoning usually develop within a few hours, depending on the means of exposure.

If inhaled, typical first symptoms would be difficulty breathing, fever, coughing and nausea. This could be followed by fluid buildup in the lungs, low blood pressure and eventual death.

People who swallow ricin would probably develop vomiting and diarrhea. This could lead to severe dehydration and low blood pressure.

There is no antidote for ricin. Treatment is supportive care, such as intravenous fluids and blood pressure medicine.

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Medical Editor Daniel Q. Haney is a special corespondent for The Associated Press.

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On the Net:

http://www.bt.cdc.gov/agent/ricin/facts.asp