By Ian Mylchreest
LAS VEGAS (Reuters) - An unidentified man is in criticalcondition with suspected ricin poisoning after staying in a LasVegas hotel room where the potentially deadly substance wasfound, police said on Friday.
The FBI said the incident was not thought to be terrorismrelated.
Police said the man, who they did not name, had lastoccupied the room two weeks ago and was taken to a localhospital on February 14 when he complained of breathingdifficulties.
A suspicious substance, which tests have confirmed to bericin, was found in the sick man's room on Thursday after arelative or friend went to the hotel to collect hispossessions, Las Vegas deputy police chief Kathy Suey told anews conference.
No one else has reported symptoms and it was not clearwhere the ricin came from, or what is was doing in the room atthe Extended Stay America Hotel in Las Vegas.
Suey said the sick man, in his 40s, "is in criticalcondition and he is unable to speak with us right now. We haveno indication why the ricin was in that room."
Suey said castor beans, the basis for making ricin, werefound in the hotel on Thursday and that the ricin was found invials in the room.
There is no definitive test for ricin, which in properdoses can be used to treat cancer.
It can be in the form of a powder, a mist or a pellet andcan be inhaled or ingested. There is no known antidote and mostvictims die within 36 hours to 72 hours from exposure to aslittle as a pinhead amount of the substance.
Police said the investigation was still in its early stagesand gave no details about the sick man, nor of the person whovisited the hotel on Thursday. They said the visitor was not asuspect.
Six other people, including police and hotel workers, wereadmitted to the hospital as a precaution on Thursday but no oneelse has symptoms, Suey said.
Ricin attacks cells, preventing them from making necessaryproteins.
The most famous case of ricin poisoning was in 1978 whendissident Bulgarian writer Georgi Markov was killed after apasserby in London jabbed him with an umbrella that injected atiny ricin-filled pellet.
(Reporting by Ian Mylchreest; Editing by Dan Whitcomb andEric Beech)
