Michael Beug, Chair, NAMA Toxicology Committee

There were 44 reports of mushroom poisoning of humans involving 58 people. Two of these cases were reports where the person would have been expected to have an adverse reaction but did not. The one human death (see unusual cases at end of report) does not match up with any normal mushroom poisoning and was almost undoubtedly due to other causes. Cases where children were found having eaten mushrooms from their yard are not included if there were no symptoms. The asymptomatic cases frequently involved what is commonly known as Panaeolus foenisecii. There were 5 cases involving dogs. The one death of a dog most certainly appears to be a veterinarian covering up for a death from other causes (see unidentified mushrooms case 5).

Agaricus? 1 Case, child of 3, one bite of mushroom picked days earlier. Symptoms: Vomited once.

Agaricus "placomyces". 1 case of 1/3 cup cooked (thought to be Agaricus arvensis) plus alcohol, 7 adults, not all ill. Symptoms: diarrhea, intestinal cramps. Onset 5 hours.

Agaricus xanthodermus. 1 case, child ate 1 bite. No symptoms from this generally moderately poisonous species.

Amanita muscaria or look-alike. 1 case, 1 button, cooked. Symptoms: disorientation and confusion. 2^nd case, one 6-8" raw cap. Symptoms: nausea, vomiting, shivering. Onset 1 hour.

Amanita muscaria var. flavivolvata. 1 case of 1 bite raw to identify it. Symptoms: watery diarrhea, nausea, shivers, muscle spasms. Onset 3 hours.

Amanita pantherina group & possibly A. muscaria. 1 case 3 non-English speaking adults ate 1-2 cupfuls each. Symptoms: vomiting

Amanita velatipes.1 adult. Symptoms: chills, vomiting.

Boletus edulis. 1 case of 1 specimen cooked & consumed with glass of wine. Symptoms: vomiting several times. Onset 3 hours.

Amanita virosa? 1 case, 0.75 cm² for recreation. Symptoms: Chills, fever, cramps, spasm, drowsy, nausea, weakness, pain in teeth. Onset 13 hours.

Armillaria "mellea" on hemlock. 1 case, 4-6 caps. Symptoms: diarrhea, mild nausea. Onset 6 hours.

Cantharellus formosus. 1 case adult. Symptoms: vomiting, diarrhea, chills and cramps. Onset 1 hour. Duration 48 hours.

Chlorophyllum molybdites? 1 case of child eating unknown quantity in yard. Symptoms: nausea, profuse vomiting (10x). Onset 2-3 hours. 2^nd case adult ate 1 raw from yard. Symptoms: vomiting and diarrhea. Onset 2 hours.

Gyromitra esculenta? 1 case of 2 individuals, both asthmatics, affected by picking and handling the mushrooms, not eating them (though at least one had eaten some one week earlier without ill effect). Symptoms: (of female) headache, nausea, hot flushed skin; (of male) tightness of chest, scratchy throat, not feeling well. Onset 1 hour.

Inocybe fastigiata + other species. 1 case Dog. Symptoms: salivation, vomiting, and gas. Onset ½ hour.

Leccinum sp (years ago): 1 case of adult eating a lot of raw and undercooked Leccinums. Symptoms: nausea and vomiting (14x).

Lepiota rachodes? 1 case unknown quantity in spaghetti sauce, 1 of 5 people involved ill; 2 cases of "sensitivity" reported by members of Mycological Society of San Francisco; case 3 adult who had been eating them for a weak. Symptoms: Vomiting and diarrhea, collapse (in case 3). Onset 1 hour.

Morchella sp (blacks) + alcohol (4-5 beers). 1 case 15 specimens cooked. Symptoms: vomiting (4x), diarrhea (6-7x), fever, headache, sweating, weakness, clammy skin. Onset: 3.5 hours.

Morchella sp (blacks), no alcohol. 1 case 8 cooked. Symptoms: vomit 1x, severe headache, sweating, hands tingling, feeling drunk, jittery. Onset: 6 hours. Second case 8-10 cooked. Symptoms: vomit (lots + dry heaves), diarrhea, nausea, muscle pain, spasms, twitching. Onset 4.5 hours. Duration: 24 hours. With case 2, patient was an experienced picker and his son did not eat as many and had no symptoms. 3^rd case cooked 30-45 seconds, large meal, father & son both ill. Symptoms: vomiting. Onset 1.5 hours. 4^th and 5^th cases raw morels, 5 bites and 6 mushrooms. Case 4 (raw) symptoms: burning throat, nausea and bloated feeling. Case 5: no ill effects.

Morels? (in a restaurant). 1 case "morels" in omelets consumed by elderly mother and daughter-in-law. Symptoms nausea, severe vomiting, diarrhea for 2-3 hours followed by headache. Note a separate batch of omelets eaten by 2 other women caused no ill effects.

Panaeolus (=Psathyrella) foenisecii group + 1 other species? Dog ate a lot of mushrooms from yard. Symptoms: vomiting. Onset: soon.

Psilocybe cyanescens.1 Case single young adult. Symptoms: "A good buzz". Patient picked up for erratic driving of a stolen car. A paranoid schizophrenic who had also ingested hash and a good amount of beer, whiskey, etc. 2^nd case two teens, 30 caps in a tea. Symptoms: hallucinations. Onset ½ hour.

Russula spp. 1 case of 4 males eating 1-4 cooked and raw. Symptoms: nausea (all 4), vomiting (2) and diarrhea (2). Onset 5-6 hours. Note: consumption of some of the blackening Russulas can be deadly.

Scleroderma sp. (cepa?) 1 case 2 adults cooked and ate 4-5 slices each, thought they had Calvatia fumosa, an inedible puffball; second case 2-3 tablespoons, thought to be puffballs. Symptoms: nausea, vomiting, dizziness, and precipitous drop in blood pressure (in case 1). Onset 20 minutes, 1.5 hours in case 2.

Verpa bohemica? 1 Case, 2 sisters with undetermined amount fried with eggs (mistaken for morels). Symptoms: vomit 6x and lower intestinal pain and feet hurt with one; other had chills, fever, nausea. 2^nd case child ate 1 bite raw. Symptoms: headache. Onset 2 hours.

Volvariella ("Straw Mushrooms" consumed in a Chinese restaurant). 1 Case, adult, large meal. Symptoms: dizziness and sweating. Onset: 90 minutes. Duration: 7 hours.

Unidentified mushrooms. Case 1 Dog (golden retriever) ate lots of small, brown, ringless mushrooms in mountain habitat. Symptoms: vomiting, salivation, eyes watering, lethargy, pupils normal. Onset 1 hour. Case 2, 7 year old child grazing in yard. Symptoms: vomiting (5x), shaking, sweating, pupils normal. Onset 4.5 hours (cause other than mushrooms?). Case 3 adult consumed 1 raw 5" x 4-5" black lawn mushroom under a tree on a dare. Symptoms: vomiting (3-4x). Onset 30-45 minutes. Case 4 young adult ate 4 raw hallucinogenic species. Symptoms: vomiting (extensive), sweating, dilated pupils, vertical and horizontal nystagmus, slight bradycardia. Duration: confused for a week. Case 5 Dog (chocolate lab puppy). Symptoms mild hyperactivity and diarrhea persisting 5-6 days then bloody diarrhea followed by death but no evidence of mushroom consumption and previous adverse reaction to 3 vaccinations and flea medication, so owners suspect the veterinarian (who had them search for mushrooms and when they found one he told them it was a death cap that "tested way off the charts" – and there are no known tests that could have been performed and a second "identical" mushroom that owners later brought to Marilyn Shaw proved to be Agaricus xanthodermus). Case 6 elderly woman at mixed collection from Rocky Mountains. Symptoms: vomiting, diarrhea, nausea, intestinal cramps, and weakness. Onset 2 hours. Case 7, 4 adults, non-English speaking, ate mixed frozen mushrooms not in good condition. Symptoms: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and chills. Onset 1-4 hours. Case 8, 3 adults. 2 ill. Symptoms diarrhea vomiting. Onset 1 hour. Case 9, 1 adult. Symptoms: vomiting, diarrhea, cramps, sweating. Onset 7 hours. Case 10 child ate 1 raw mushroom. Symptoms: vomiting, diarrhea, nausea, cramps, fever, spasms. Onset 10 hours. Case 11 Dog. Symptoms vomiting, cramps, chills, dizzy, disoriented, spasms, drowsy, weak, liver damage. Onset 4 hours.

Unusual Cases in 2001: 2 women spent several hours identifying 35 species, none were eaten. Symptoms: 1 woman with arthritis developed severe joint pain and stiffness in hands and wrist proceeding the next day to knee and ankle; second woman suffered severe fluid retention which lasted 48-72 hours. Second Case: Obese man with sleep apnea was sitting at a table with a bowl of unidentified wild mushrooms; a few hours later wife returned to find husband dead on floor and mushroom bowl empty. Autopsy inconclusive.

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