Medical aspects of biologic toxins

Abstract

Biologic toxins are molecules produced by living organisms that are poisonous to other species, such as humans. Some biologic toxins are so potent and relatively easy to produce that they have been classified as biothreat agents. These include the botulinum neurotoxins, ricin, staphylococcal enterotoxin B, and Clostridium perfringens epsilon toxin. This article focuses on these four biothreat toxins and their medical aspects. The majority of the article is spent on the botulinum neurotoxins, because these are the most poisonous substances known and are the only toxins classified as Category A threat agents-the highest level of threat agent. The remainder of the article is devoted to sections on the other three biothreat toxins: ricin, staphylococcal enterotoxin B, and C perfringens epsilon toxin.