Posted on 02/25/2006 4:48:19 AM PST by genefromjersey
Edited on 02/25/2006 5:53:54 AM PST by Admin Moderator. [history]
Updated story from Yahoo News & AP:
Ricin Discovered in Texas Dormitory
AUSTIN - A University of Texas student found a substance that has tested positive for ricin, a potentially deadly poison, in a roll of quarters she was using to do laundry in her dormitory, officials said.
The student and her roommate were being treated for potential exposure to the poison, although neither has exhibited symptoms, said Dr. Theresa Spalding of UT Student Health Services.
The student told university police she found the chunky powder Thursday as she was doing her laundry at the Moore-Hill dormitory, Spalding said. Preliminary tests for ricin came back positive Friday.
"We were very concerned as soon as we heard about the positive testing late this evening," Spalding said. She said the quarters had been in the students' dorm room for several months.
Ricin is extracted from castor beans and can be added to food or water, injected or sprayed as an aerosol. It can be in the form of a powder, mist, pellet, or it can be dissolved in water or weak acid.
Symptoms can include anything from difficulty breathing, fever, cough, nausea and sweating to severe vomiting and dehydration.
The dorm was sanitized and inspected, and students were cleared to return, the university said.
Ricin Discovered in Texas Dormitory
____
AUSTIN - A substance discovered by a student in a University of Texas dormitory has tested positive for ricin, a potentially deadly poison, officials said.
The chunky powder was found at the Moore-Hill dormitory Thursday and reported to university police, officials said. Tests for ricin came back positive Friday. Officials don't know where it came from, said campus police spokeswoman Rhonda Weldon.
"The most likely scenario is that some nutcase student at UT Austin was set off by the news from UT Dallas and decided to play a "prank". The girl who found the ricin was probably a "target of opportunity", i.e, someone who left her room door open.
It doesn't seem likely this was done by any true terrorist."
Plausible. However..where did the 'nutcase' student get the ricin? Did he work at the lab or did he manufacture it in his dorm room?(highly unlikely) Either way..we don't need 'nutcases' or terrorists working at bio-defense labs!
Probably me at post #70.
I erroneously said that he was from Mauritania, an islamic country, and compounded my error by asserting that by describing it as an Indian Ocean island the press deliberately gave the impression that he was an Indian, and therefore probably a Hindu.
Not that I would even think that the MSM would try to mislead...
My dad is going through a nasty divorce from her and has been very sick twice this year before she left(she wrote his obituary before she left), since she has been gone he is suddenly gotten well.
One of his neighbors told him that she had been growing caster beans on her mail box and was probably trying to poison him! We laughed it off, but then your post. LOL!
UH OH!!!!!
1)The Austin environmentalists are going to go NUTS over putting RICIN into the sewage system. How many Barton Creek Salamanders are going to die because of this thoughtless student?
2) WHY WAS DAVID GREGORY NOT NOTIFIED IMMEDIATELY?!?!?!?!
The public fonds out 48 hours or more later? This will not do!!!! Impeach Bush!
Makes ya go Hmmmmm...
LOL
Pictures are OK...but please resize/recompress & store on a server you have access to. You kill the dial-up Freepers with 128Kb size pix.
Thanks for the links. Don't you just love the statement put out by UT 'officials':
"When faced with an incident like this the university’s highest priority is the safety of our students,” said William Powers Jr., president of The University of Texas at Austin. “We’ve taken every precaution to ensure our students health and safety are protected.”
I guess that is why they waited 24 hours before getting the students out of the dorm and the laundry room as reported! Sounds vaguely like the officials at OU after the bombing incident this past fall. Go figure. (rolling eyes)
LOL
Sorry.
Ed
Oh, I don't disagree with that at all. Hence is why I bumped you. I just feel a 'little' better about this after reading the SEC annual report.
That is always how it works.
bump!
"I just feel a 'little' better about this after reading the SEC annual report."
Me too. Glad you found it and posted the info.
Yup...I remember the ad's as a child for Fletcher's Castoria...nasty stuff!
.
They probably planned the Championship parade for their football team in less time.....
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