Early tests show the powder found by a student in a dormitory at the University of Texas at Austin is ricin, a powerful poison that can be used as a biological weapon, according to the university.
The preliminary tests were conducted at a state lab Friday; a sample was to be flown to a government lab Saturday afternoon, FBI spokesman Special Agent Richard Kolko said. The FBI is leading the investigation and has not linked the discovery to terrorism, he said.
No one at the university who may have been exposed has shown any symptoms, which would usually appear within six to eight hours, said Dr. Adolfo Valadez, medical director for the Travis County Health and Human Services Department. “The exposure risk, we feel, is low,” he said.
February 25th, 2006 at 8:51:25 pm
Authorities are now saying that they believe the powder found in the dorm is not likely ricin.
http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/02/25/UT.ricin/index.html
February 25th, 2006 at 9:05:08 pm
It was a misquote. They found “rice in” the dorm. Big mistake.