<p>Anyone know anything about ricen (sp?) being found in a dormitory at the University of Texas at Austin? I heard something this morning on the news, and I'm wondering if anyone has a link to the story from a more local paper that might have details. I'm so glad no one appears to have been injured.</p>
<p>from the Austin American Statesman:</p>
<p>Ricin discovered in dormitory
Students moved from Moore-Hill after exposure confirmed.
By Whitney L. Becker
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Saturday, February 25, 2006</p>
<p>Ricin, a potentially deadly poison, was found in a University of Texas dormitory Thursday by a student who reported the substance to school police officers.</p>
<p>The dorm was sanitized, and the substance was sent to a laboratory for testing and came back positive for ricin Friday night. University officials said they had not yet determined where it came from.</p>
<p>A "small amount" of UT students living in Moore-Hill dormitory were exposed to the substance, UT police spokeswoman Rhonda Weldon said.</p>
<p>The students are now at an undisclosed location and are in contact with the FBI. They are not showing any symptoms, officials said. Other students living in Moore-Hill were being moved to Jester dormitory Friday night, Weldon said.</p>
<p>There is no threat to the university suspected, but an investigation is under way, Weldon said.</p>
<p>The substance found in Moore-Hill was a chunky powder and exposure was limited due to the humid conditions, Dr. Adolfo Valadez of the Austin health department said.</p>
<p>"We were very concerned as soon as we heard about the positive testing late this evening," said Dr. Theresa Spalding of UT Health Services. "But everything was packed away and tested in an orderly manner."</p>
<p>Although other powders have been found on the UT campus in the past, this is the first substance to test positive, Spalding said.</p>
<p>According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Web site, ricin is a poison that can be made from the waste left over from processing castor beans, which are used to make castor oil. Ricin can come in the form of a powder, a mist or a pellet, or it can be dissolved in water or weak acid.</p>
<p>Within a few hours of inhaling large amounts of ricin, symptoms may include breathing difficulty, fever, cough, nausea and tightness in the chest. Someone who swallows a significant amount of ricin could develop vomiting and diarrhea that may become bloody.</p>
<p>Ricin poisoning can be deadly within 36 to 72 hours after exposure.</p>
<p>It is not contagious and can not be transmitted through the skin.</p>
<p>Analyses of Powder in Texas Dorm Are Inclusive - Washington Post
<a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/25/AR2006022501298.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/25/AR2006022501298.html</a></p>