Table 2.
Relative Toxicity of Selected Agents
| Relative toxicity of selected toxins and agents in mice | ||
|---|---|---|
| Toxin/Agent | LD 50 (μg/kg) | Source |
| Botulinum toxin | 0.001 | Clostridium botulinum (bacterium) |
| Shiga toxin | 0.002 | Shigella dysenteriae (bacterium) |
| Tetanus toxin | 0.002 | Clostridium tetani (bacterium) |
| Diphtheria toxin | 0.10 | Clostridium diphtheria (bacterium) |
| Ciguatoxin | 0.40 | Fish/marine dinoflagellate |
| Clostridium perfringens toxins | 0.1-0.5 | C. perfringens (bacterium) |
| Ricin | 3.0 | Castor bean (plant) |
| Tetrodotoxin | 8.0 | Puffer fish |
| Saxitoxin | 10.0 (inhaled 2.0) | Marine dinoflagellate |
| VX | 15.0 | Chemical agent |
| Anatoxin A | 50.0 | Blue-green alga |
| Soman (GD) | 64.0 | Chemical agent |
| Sarin (GB) | 100.0 | Chemical agent |
Source: modified from Kortepeter M, Christopher G, Cieslak T, et al. USAMRIID’s Medical Management of Biological Casualties Handbook. Fort Detrick: USMARIID, 2001, Appendix I
LD 50 = median lethal dose (i.e., amount required to kill 50% of a given test population)