DISASTER! - Homeland Security and Emergency Management ...

• Ingestion - if a large amount of ricin is swallowed it willcause internal bleeding of the stomach and intestines,leading to puking and bloody diarrhea within 2 to 6 hours-- and most likely lead to liver, spleen and kidneys shuttingdown, and person could die within several days• Injection - if enough ricin is injected into a person, itimmediately kills muscles and lymph nodes around areawhere it entered body ~ eventually organs will shut down• Skin or eyes - mist or powder can cause redness and painTreatment: There is no antidote for ricin exposure. Supportive medicalcare can be given based on how a person was exposed to ricin (like oxygen[if inhalation] or I.V. fluids or flushing stomach with activated charcoal [ifingestion]), but care mainly helps symptoms.If a mist or powder was released, get the ricin off or out of body asap:• First - leave area as quickly as possible... if outdoors - move away and upwind from area... if in building - get outside to high ground and upwind• If inhaled - get fresh air as quickly and calmly as possible• If mist or powder on clothing or skin - remove contaminatedclothes and shoes but don’t pull anything over head- cut it off. Seal items in a bag, then seal that bag in a bag.Immediately wash body with clean water and soap.• If mist or powder in eyes - remove contacts and put inbags with clothing. If eyes burn or vision is blurred, rinseeyes with water for 10 to 15 minutes. If wearing glasses,wash them with soap and water before putting back on.Smallpox - is a very serious, highly contagious and sometimes deadlydisease caused by the variola virus. The most common form of smallpoxcauses raised bumps on the face and body of an infected person. There hasnot been a case of smallpox in the world since 1977, however in the 1980sall countries consolidated their smallpox stocks in two governmentcontrolledlaboratories in the U.S. and Russia. These secured laboratoriesstill have the virus in quantities for research purposes, but it is very possiblesome vials have gotten or could get into the hands of terrorist groups.Smallpox disease killed over 300 million people in the 20th century andexperts say it is the most dangerous infectious disease ever. There is no curefor smallpox and most patients infected with the disease recover, but deathmay occur in as many as 3 of every 10 persons infected.How it spreads: Smallpox is primarily spread person to person throughdroplets that are inhaled but usually requires close contact. It can also bewww.itsadisaster.net or call 1-888-999-4325103