Abstract: Botulinum neurotoxin A (BoNT/A) is on the national select agent registry and can be an extremely potent biotoxin if weaponized. It blocks neuromuscular transmission by decreasing acetylcholine release. This may be a serious problem if expensive reusable medical devices such as ventilators or anesthesia machines are accidentally or deliberately contaminated. Since transfer of BoNT/A f…
Abstract: Water and reusable medical device surfaces can be contaminated by natural toxins such as ricin either accidentally or intentionally. This report focuses on the removal of peanut lectin (PL), a ricin surrogate, from water and reusable medical devices and materials. An ELISA assay was used to determine if commercially available water filters could remove peanut lectin from water, and i…