Top 10 Most Deadliest Poisons In The World

8. Tetrodotoxin

Tetrodotoxin is a potent neurotoxin. Its name derives from Tetraodontiformes, an order that includes pufferfish, porcupinefish, ocean sunfish, and triggerfish; several species that carry the toxin. Although tetrodotoxin was discovered in these fish and found in several other animals (e.g., blue-ringed octopus, rough-skinned newt, and Naticidae) it is actually produced by certain symbiotic bacteria, such as Pseudoalteromonas tetraodonis, certain species of Pseudomonas andVibrio, as well as some others that reside within these animals.

TTX is extremely toxic. The Material Safety Data Sheet for TTX lists the oral median lethal dose (LD₅₀) for mice as 334 μg per kg. For comparison, the oral LD₅₀ of potassium cyanide for mice is 8.5 mg per kg, demonstrating that even orally, TTX is more poisonous than cyanide. TTX is even more dangerous if injected; the amount needed to reach a lethal dose by injection only 8 μg per kg in mice.

The toxin can enter the body of a victim by ingestion, injection, or inhalation, or through abraded skin.