title: [Botulinum and ricin toxins].
abstract: Due to their acute toxicity, accessibility and history of use, ricin and botulinum toxins are at the present time the most relevant bioterror toxins. We give a brief review of their toxicity and possible uses in bioterror attacks and describe two cases in Denmark in which immunochemical, PCR and mass spectrometric assays developed in-house were used to confirm a foodborne botulinum toxin E case and to identify bovine serum albumin as the powder enclosed in a letter sent to the U.S. Embassy in Copenhagen.
authors.affiliation: Statens Serum Institut, Autoimmunafdelingen og Klinisk Mikrobiologisk Afdeling, og Danmarks Fødevareforskning, Veterinaer Diagnostik og Forskning, København S. nhe@ssi.dk
authors.forename: Niels Henrik H
authors.initials: NH
authors.lastname: Heegaard
authors.forename: Natascha Helena
authors.initials: NH
authors.lastname: Beyer
authors.forename: Ewa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kogutowska
authors.forename: Julia T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Tanassi
authors.forename: Søren Munk
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Jensen
authors.forename: Keld
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Andresen
authors.forename: Jens Jørgen
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Christensen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001694:Biological Warfare; D023482:Bioterrorism / Q000517:prevention & control; D001905:Botulinum Toxins / Q000032:analysis / Q000506:poisoning* / Q000633:toxicity; D002417:Cattle; D004189:Disaster Planning / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012276:Ricin / Q000032:analysis / Q000506:poisoning* / Q000633:toxicity
chemical_list: D012276:Ricin; D001905:Botulinum Toxins