If severe, aphonia and death by strangulation can occur. By the fourth stage, cells in the lymphoid organs and erythropoiesis in the bone marrow and spleen are depleted and immune response is down. Infection can be triggered by an injury as minor as a cut, scratch or abrasion. The following symptoms are exhibited: Severe itching and redness of the skin, sores, shedding of the skin Distortion of any of the senses, loss of the ability to coordinate muscle movement Nausea, vomiting and diarrhea Nose and throat pain, discharge from the nose, itching and sneezing Cough, difficulty breathing, wheezing, chest pain and spitting up blood Temporary bleeding disorders Elevated body temperature Regulatory issues When it comes to animal and human food, type A trichothecenes (e.g. T-2 toxin, HT-2 toxin, diacetoxyscirpenol) are of special interest because they are more toxic than the other foodborne trichothecenes i.e. type B group (e.g. deoxynivalenol, nivalenol, 3- and 15-acetyldeoxynivalenol). However, deoxynivalenol is of concern as it is the most prevalent trichothecene in Europe. The major effects of trichothecenes – related to their concentration in the commodity – are reduced feed uptake, vomiting and immuno-suppression. A relatively few countries, primarily in the European Union, have recommended maximum limits for these mycotoxins in food and animal feed. However, trichothecenes are often tested for elsewhere, in order to prevent them from entering the food chain and to prevent losses in animal production. History Trichothecenes are believed to have been discovered in 1932 in Orenburg, Russia, during World War II, by the Soviet Union. Around 100,000 people (60% mortality rate) began to suffer and die from alimentary toxic aleukia, a lethal disease with symptoms resembling radiation. It is believed that the Soviet civilians had become ill from ingesting contaminated bread, and inhaling mold through contaminated hay, dusts and ventilation systems. The culprit is believed to be the toxins Fusarium sporotrichioides and Fusarium poae which are high producers of T-2 toxin. Fusarium species are probably the most commonly cited and among the most abundant of the trichothecene-producing fungi. Trichothecenes make an ideal biologic warfare agent, being lethal and inexpensive to produce in large quantities, stable as an aerosol for dispersion, and without effective vaccination/treatment. Evidence suggests that mycotoxins have already been utilized as biological warfare. 1964 there are unconfirmed reports that Egyptian or Russian forces used T-2 with mustard gas 1974-1981 “yellow rain” incidents in southeast Asia (Laos, Cambodia) and Afghanistan