Just had a quick chat with information officer Renee Witt from SPD about how the East Precinct is approaching Friday night in light of the ricin threat letters and the community’s repsonse — a planned Capitol Hill Pub Crawl. Witt said that East Precinct head Paul McDonaugh met with some of the threatened bar and club owners this afternoon to discuss the situation. Witt would not say specifically whether there will be more officers on the streets of Pike/Pine and surrounding areas this weekend but she did say there will be an ‘increased presence.’ Unless we’re talking about bigger cops or fancier outfits, this probably means more feet on the streets.
As for the ongoing investigation of the letters sent to eleven Capitol Hill gay bars and The Stranger, Witt said SPD continues to work with the FBI on tracking down the sender and would not comment on any connections between this investigation and other incidents in the city.
What is the deal with our chickenshit culture where our employees–the SPD–refuse to give a straight answer to a simple, non-sensitive question?
That stuff drives me OUT OF MY MIND!
I wonder if all the local hospitals on Capitol Hill/First Hill have been alerted on the treatment if people come in to the ER or Urgent Care.
From the Clin-eguide at UWMC:
Ricin:
– Plant protein derived from castor beans
– Causes rapid progression from upper respiratory congestion to cardiopulmonary collapse
– Ingestion is less toxic because GI tract does not absorb it well, but it can lead to local cytotoxic death, shock, and death.
From AccessMedicine at UWMC:
Chemical Warfare: Ricin
Ricin is a naturally occurring toxin found in minute quantities in the castor bean (Ricinus communis). It can cause toxicity if castor beans are thoroughly chewed or blenderized, although the quantity of ricin is small and it is poorly absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract, so symptoms following castor bean ingestion are usually limited to diarrhea and abdominal pain. Less commonly, severe gastroenteritis can lead to volume depletion and renal failure. On the other hand, purified ricin is extremely toxic if administered parenterally: the LD50 for injected ricin in animals is as low as 0.1 mcg/kg. A fatal case of suspected ricin poisoning by homicidal injection of an estimated 0.28 mg of ricin was associated with diffuse organ damage and death from cardiac failure after 2 days. Inhalation of ricin powder has not been reported in humans, but animal studies suggest it could cause hemorrhagic tracheobronchitis and pneumonia.
Treatment
Emergency and Supportive Measures
After suspected ricin inhalation or exposure to powdered ricin, remove clothing and wash skin with water. Personnel caring for such patients should wear protective respiratory gear, clothing, and gloves.
Specific Treatment
There is no known antidote or other specific treatment. A vaccine has been developed and is undergoing clinical trials. Provide supportive care for volume loss due to gastroenteritis and cardiac and respiratory support as needed.
I’m ready to go out this weekend