Public health investigation after the discovery of ricin in a South Carolina postal facility.
OBJECTIVE
In October 2003, a package containing ricin and a note threatening to poison water supplies was discovered in a South Carolina postal facility, becoming the first potential chemical terrorism event involving ricin in the United States. We examined the comprehensive public health investigation that followed and discuss the lessons learned from it.


METHODS
An investigation consisting primarily of environmental sampling for ricin contamination, performance of health assessments on affected personnel, and local, regional, and national surveillance for ricin-associated illness.


RESULTS
Laboratory analysis of 75 environmental sampling specimens revealed no ricin contamination. Health assessments of 36 affected employees were completed. Local surveillance initially identified 3 suspected cases, and national surveillance identified 399 outliers during the 2-week period after the incident. No confirmed cases of ricin-associated illness were identified.


CONCLUSIONS
A multifaceted and multidisciplinary approach is required for an effective public health response to a chemical threat such as ricin. The results of all of the described activities were used to determine that the facility was safe to reopen and that no public health threat existed.
Schier
Joshua G
JG
Division of Environmental Hazards and Health Effects, National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Ga 30341, USA. jschier@cdc.gov
Patel
Manish M
MM
Belson
Martin G
MG
Patel
Amee
A
Schwartz
Michael
M
Fitzpatrick
Nicole
N
Drociuk
Dan
D
Deitchman
Scott
S
Meyer
Richard
R
Litovitz
Toby
T
Watson
William A
WA
Rubin
Carol H
CH
Kiefer
Max
M
D004781:Environmental Exposure; D006801:Humans; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D011177:Postal Service; D015980:Public Health Practice; D012276:Ricin / Q000506:poisoning*; D013022:South Carolina; D023481:Terrorism
D012276:Ricin