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2003 Case Report
Michael Beug, Chair, NAMA Toxicology Committee
The 2003 case report is presented in two
sections. The first section is a compendium of reports sent from all
sources except for the majority of Marilyn Shaw’s reports. Marilyn’s
reports are presented separately and in full detail to give the reader
a sense of the total number of reports coming to one poison control
center (the Rocky Mountain Poison Control Center). Her more detailed
reports also give some sense of the timing and location of the
poisonings as well as more insight into the uncertainties and processes
involved in investigating potential mushroom poisoning cases.
There were 20 individual mushroom case reports sent in involving 25
people plus an additional 4 case reports involving 5 dogs. Cases of
children eating mushrooms but suffering no ill effects are not
included. The one human death reported (see morels and Marilyn’s more
detailed report) is an unusual case of a severely impaired and unwell
individual where, if mushrooms caused the death, the timing and
symptoms are most unusual. The death of three dogs in 2002 was caused
by three different species of mushrooms (Amanita muscaria, Lepiota
josserandii and an unknown mushroom suspected to be Amanita
bisporigera).
General Report
Agaricus (Portobello). Man ate a
Portobello mushroom sandwich in a restaurant. Symptoms: dizzy, loss of
balance, nausea, vomiting. Next day weak but OK. 2nd case:
woman ate 1 grilled over a campfire. Symptoms: overwhelming sense of
dread, panic, and heat radiating from chest to groin area. Onset 4-5
hours. Note: effects due to wood smoke?
Amanita muscaria var. formosa. Dog (4 month
Norwick Terrier, 6#) ate ½ cap. Symptoms: intense salivation, then
diarrhea and tremors, seizure and death 4.5 hours after ingestion.
Onset <1 hour. Owner saw puppy eat mushroom and tried to get her to
throw up, as did vet 1.5 hours later.
Amanita phalloides. Man ate two unopened buttons, cooked,
thinking they were puffballs. Symptoms: nausea, vomiting, elevated
liver enzymes. Onset 12 hours, outcome, released after 1 week, appears
fully recovered. 2nd case man possibly ate 3-5 cooked and a
second man ate less (remaining collection included Amanita
phalloides, a blewitt and a Russula). Symptoms (of most ill
patient): diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, fulminate hepatitis, elevated
GGT, AST, ALT, worsening liver function tests. Onset about 11 hours.
Denied transfer to a liver transplant team due to liver damage from
alcoholism. Treatment supportive care, control of blood sugar,
charcoal, neomycin, albumin, penicillin-g, thiamin, folate,
multivitamins. . Outcome: discharged with fulminate hepatitis,
alcoholic liver disease, intractable nausea, vomiting and diarrhea with
electrolyte disturbance. Second man discharged after 1 day.
Amanita velosa. Woman ate one bite, cooked. Symptoms dizzy,
disoriented, drowsy, comatose on arrival at hospital. Onset 4-5 hours.
Treated for Anti seizure, Ativan, Fosphenytoin, Narcan. Outcome:
Patient, who reports having eaten these in past without ill effect,
recovered after 12 hours.
Boletus sp. Young man ate 3 cooked specimens. Symptoms: toxic
hepatitis several days later. Connection between poisoning and
mushrooms believed unlikely, I expect Marilyn Shaw’s report to provide
more details.
Chlorophyllum molybdites. Case 1: Man expected "Parasol
Mushroom" ate 1 raw stem. Symptoms: Chills, fever, diarrhea (for 24
hours), cramps, sweating, vomiting, nausea, weakness and headache
lasting 6 hours. Onset 1 hour. Treatment oral fluids. Case 2: Man
expected Lepiota rachodes and ate 2/3 cup cooked. Symptoms:
diarrhea, nausea, headache, and increased urination. Onset 11 hours.
Clitopilus prunulus. One woman out of 25 people affected,
consumed ½ cup cooked plus alcohol. Symptoms chills, sweating,
vomiting, nausea, headache. Onset 1 hour, immediate relief after
vomiting.
Grifola frondosa. Man ate one cup cooked plus had alcohol and
medication Depakote. Symptoms: vomiting and headache. Onset 2 hours.
Note: has eaten Grifola frondosa many times before without ill
effect, expects combination of medicine and alcohol and mushrooms was
the problem.
Inocybe sp? Little boy ate about 10 cc raw in yard.
Symptoms: cramps. Onset ½ hour.
Lepiota josserandii. 2 Dogs (Dalmatians). Symptoms:
diarrhea, nausea, salivation, vomiting, weakness, fatigue, general
malaise and death. Treatment iv liquids but first dog already near
death. Second dog survived with severe liver damage after iv push for 1
week + denosyl, injected penicillin and oral amoxicilin. The vet
reported that death of dogs from mushroom poisoning occurs frequently,
but is rarely reported.
Morels (blondes + alcohol). One man affected twice, once when meal
included "Shaggy Manes", not previously affected by morels. Symptoms:
Intense vomiting lasting 4 hours. Onset 5 hours.
Morels (black). Man ate 5 rehydrated cooked morels in Australia plus
had alcohol, 2 incidents (but no trouble eating fresh morels).
Symptoms: diarrhea, vomiting, weakness. Onset 3.5 hours. 2nd
case mentally impaired diabetic ate several raw morels. Symptoms: GI
distress and death within a few hours, liver normal. Expect Marilyn
Shaw’s report to provide more details.
Omphalotus olearius. Young man and woman handled, but
did not eat the mushrooms. Almost immediate burning sensation from
skin contact with orange mycelial juices. Washing hands with water
ended episode. Note: two women working with mushrooms for dyes reported
a similar but less severe reaction several years ago.
Paxillus involutus. Dog (2 year old) ate large cap
portion. Symptoms: diarrhea, salivation, nausea, weakness, and
respiratory depression. Onset 0.5 hour
Pleurotus ostreatus. Woman ate unknown quantity of cooked
mushrooms growing on straw from a mushroom growing kit, two episodes.
Symptoms: diarrhea, cramps. Onset 2-3 hours. Note: several others have
eaten mushrooms many times from same kits without ill effects
Tricholomopsis decora. Woman ate 2 thinking they were Armillaria
albolanaripes. Symptoms chills, diarrhea, intensely red skin,
excessive sweating and salivation, blurred vision. Onset 0.5 hours.
Treatment 2 cc Atropine iv.
Unknown. Two cases, mushroom related? Symptoms rapid onset kidney
failure (acute interstitial nephritis). Onset 12-24 hours, no other
details. 2nd case woman ate 2 large violet mushrooms and a
white one. Symptoms: diarrhea, vomiting, and panic. Onset 1 hour. 3rd
case woman and young son expecting Agaricus campestris, both
ill. Symptoms: chills, diarrhea, salivation, cramps, vomiting. Onset
0.5 hour. Since onset was rapid, poison center advised not to worry,
just stay hydrated. 4th case: elderly man ate ½"x1/2"
portion of a mushroom stalk hoping to get high (he thought it might be
a Psilocybe). Symptoms: chills, salivation, sweating, vomiting, nausea
and low blood pressure. "Given several iv’s" and released after 2
hours. 5th case: Dog (golden retriever) suspected of
eating "Destroying Angel" which was fruiting in general area at the
time. Symptoms: malaise, lack of interest in eating, elevated liver
enzymes, organ failure. Euthanized after 5-6 days.
MUSHROOM CASES, MOST FROM RMP&DC, referred
to MARILYN SHAW 1-1-03 TO 12-31-03
Total calls: 101: humans 83; dogs 18. Symptomatic
cases: humans: 29 cases, 42 patients; dogs: 5. Other interesting cases:
6.
1-11-03 Near Montrose, CO. Boletus edulis. Adult male ate
mushrooms that had been collected the year before and had been frozen raw. Ate an unknown amount of
mushrooms at 3PM. Began vomiting at midnight. Vomited 5 times between midnight and 10AM. Refused to go to
hospital. Wife said she had cooked mushrooms 3 times
- twice in water, which was discarded, then
sauteed. I questioned to determine if ID
was correct and it seemed to be. They said they have been collecting mushrooms for 20 years. I
suspect there had been some bacterial
contamination
while frozen raw. RMPDC - no case#.
1-26-03 Kahuka, Hawaii. Chlorophyllum molybdites
plus unident. small white mushrooms growing in straw. Male, 63, homeless, alcoholic, with hepatitis A
& C, and diabetes, ate several mushrooms from a lawn. Symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea, both bloody, began 30 min. after
ingestion and
continued for 6 hours to time of contact. He had
also eaten some unidentified small flat white mushrooms. Patient said
he had been sweating, but he did
not have
pinpoint pupils. ID of small mushrooms unknown and no
specimens available. Advised to do LFTs and
repeat in 12 -24 hours to be sure amatoxins were not
involved. By 3 AM the symptoms were resolving Call
from MD at Acute Care Facility.
RMPDC case #822501.
2-7-03 Denver, CO. Gymnopilus purpuratus.
Female dog, 5yrs., 15 lbs., ate mushrooms growing in flower pot held
over from previous fall. Dog spent the night at
vet’s. Symptoms included vomiting, diarrhea, legs wobbly, collapsing, staring without apparent recognition. Woman had
worked at DBG. She called RMPDC
at midnight several days before, but she was
advised to take the dog to her vet. Call was not referred for
ID. She finally called DBG and was referred to Vera Evenson who called me. Flower pot was taken
to Vera who eventually IDd the mushroom
from a Swiss reference. It is
listed as being hallucinogenic and a GI irritant. Dog recovered.
4-23-03 Oahu, Hawaii. Unknown mushroom, suspect Chlorophyllum
molybdites or Lepiota rachodes. Male, 25yrs ate mushroom
growing
outside window, as well as a bit of tea leaf.
Symptoms including nausea and vomiting began 2 hrs. later. and
continued from 8AM to 1PM.
Only cap available - no stem, but gills were free
and remote, cap sturdy and scaly. Digital photo of top was sent later.
Appeared to be L.
rachodes, but could have been
C. molybdites.
Patient had been acting paranoid for several weeks and
was not taking his medication. Family had been
trying to get
him into a treatment facility. He said he was God and
thought he could eat anything he came across. Call from MD at
Queens Hosp. ER. RMPDC case
#865440.
5-3-03 Westminster, CO (NW suburb of Denver). Chlorophyllum
molybdites. Male, 39, ate a thumb size piece of a mushroom he thought he
had eaten before. Symptoms began 2 hrs. later. He
was vomiting so much it was difficult to get a
description, but mushrooms seemed to be
Agaricus sp. I drove to his home and found that
he had indeed collected some fresh Agaricus sp. which did not appear to
be one of the toxic species. The mushroom he had eaten a very small piece of was a Chlorophyllum
molybdites which he had picked and dried the previous year.
The piece was about 3/4 " dia. and 1-3 mm thick. He
called a few days later and reported that he had vomited 4-5 times, had
diarrhea, and a
headache. He said he felt awful for 24 hours. He had
had some alcohol before going on a fishing trip, which may have been
where he found the Agaricus.
RMPDC case #871137.
5-10-03 Weiser, ID. Unknown LBM. Male, 20s, ate about 10 mushrooms
which had been collected near Boise. Symptoms of
nausea, vomiting, diarrhea began
1 hr. later. Mushrooms described as brain-like, but had gills. The
hospita employees went on line and IDd the
mushrooms as Hypholoma
fasciculare or Tricholoma sulphureus , but as we know, IDs made by picture matching by the uninitiated are
suspect. Call from Weiser Mem.
Hosp. RMPDC case #874925.
5-11-03 Alliance, Neb.. Prob. Morchella esculenta. Adult male
ate morels cooked with scrambled eggs for breakfast. Two hours later he
experienced nausea, vomiting, and
diarrhea. He did not have headache, muscle cramps, incoordination.
Description and e-mailed photos
confirm true morels. LFTs were normal. Suspect that
the morels were undercooked. Don’t know if any alcohol was ingested.
Call from Omaha Poison Center. RMPDC case #875119.
5-13-03 Kootney, ID, Susp. Morchella sp. raw. Adult female ate
2 raw mushrooms, one at 11:30AM, one at 12:30PM. One hour later she
experienced a burning sensation
in the mouth, then nausea and vomiting. Tongue felt thick. She had
never eaten any wild mushrooms before. She had been
given the mushrooms by a 67 yr. old male friend. He was to try to find
more and call. Didn’t. LFTs were normal. Call from
hospital ER.
RMPDC case #876390.
5-14-03 Conrad, MT. Susp. Agaricus xanthodermus complex. Male,
56. while helping with branding, picked and ate raw 2 buttons he
thought were A. campestris.
Symptoms began one hour later and included cramps and 25-30 episodes of
diarrhea. He is diabetic. He had eaten 2
cooked
mushroom buttons 2 days before. Base of stem yellow. Thought he might
have gotten sick because he had pulled up what he thought
were wild onions, but which were death camus He
thought illness might have been from juice on hand. Advised don’t think
so. RMPDC - no case #.
5-17-03 McCall, ID. Raw morels. Adult female ate morels raw in salad.
Vomiting (2x) began 30 min. later. She said others had eaten the same
without ill
effect. RMPDC case #878631.
6-1-03 Silt, CO. Verpa bohemica. Male, 40, picked, cooked and
ate what he thought were morels. Symptoms began two hours later and
included bloating, vomiting (2x) hot flashes,
sweating, and diarrhea. Description was obviously that of the "thimble
cap" false morel. RMPDC case
#887199.
6-6-03 Missoula, MT. Pleurotus sp. Call from MD. Adult male and
female ate large amount of cooked mushrooms at 10PM. Both experienced
stomach cramps
and "non-stop" vomiting beginning at night and continuing through the
next morning. Susp. illness from some other cause,
or excessive butter soaked mushrooms. RMPDC #889984.
6-22-03 Pahala, HI. Susp. Agaricus sp. Adult male ate small
piece of mushroom they IDd as "horse mushroom". Symptoms of vomiting
(12x) and sweating began one hour later. There was
no tearing and pupils were normal. Large "portobello-looking" mushroom
was described as having smooth top "like suede".
RMPDC #898886.
6-24-03 Jefferson County, CO. Phallus impudicus or close
relative. Adult female handled mushroom several days before while
gardening. She was wearing a tank
top. In one to two hours she developed red rash and itchy welts over
her upper body. Also slight nausea for a couple of
days, and felt she couldn’t think clearly. An
important aspect of this case was how hard it was for the patient to
find someone to talk to about the mushroom. She
called RMPDC and was given instructions for treating the rash, but the
call was not referred. She called CU extension
service and was told not to bring
it in. All the extension services in the area have my name. Someone
told her to call Denver Botanic Gardens. The
receptionist there told her to call the president of CMS. He referred
her to me. This is the third case of skin problems involving stink
horns that we
have had in this area in recent years.
6-28-03 Monument, CO. Susp. Amanita muscaria or A.
pantherina. Lab dug up mushroom which terrier, 3, then ate.
Veterinarian called to report that dog was
having seizures and had a heart murmur. Owner didn’t get a good look at
the mushroom, but habitat is right for these
mushrooms and dogs seem to love
them. Seizures are common. By next day dog had recovered, but was
aggressive, also common in dogs
with these mushrooms. RMPDC case #902992.
6-28-03 Crystal Lake, CO. Unknown mushroom. Dog, a 3 yr old Shih-Tzu,
ate a mushroom in the mountains. He vomited profusely 2 times and
drank lots of water. There were
only vomited pieces of tan to brownish mushroom available. Nothing
distinctive enough to attempt ID. Call
from a veterinarian at Colo. State Univ. School of
Vet. Medicine in Ft. Collins, CO. RMPDC case #903002.
7-22-03 Hawaii, HI. Unidentified hallucinogenic mushroom. Male, 16,
gathered and ate 20 mushrooms, which he called "golden caps". He was
not hallucinating, but
heart was racing, extremities cold, and patient was extremely fearful
to the point of climbing into bed with his parents.
He was advised to go to an ER for possible
tranquilizer, but did not. He was reassured that he would recover and
be OK. RMPDC case
#917338.
7-30-03 Aurora, CO. Chlorphyllum molybdites. Call from Aurora
South ER at 3AM reporting that 4 adults and a 12 year old from a Korean
family had collected mushrooms in a nearby state
park. The mushrooms had been trimmed, scrubbed and steamed, then eaten
in a salad. Symptoms began 2 1/2 hours later and
included nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. None of the patients spoke
English, but a maintenance worker was able
to translate, although she had left before I got there. The leftover pieces had free and remote
gills. When the female patient was asked the
color of the gills, she pointed
to her slacks, which were olive drab. RMPDC case #922286.
8-1-03 Oaxaca, Mexico/Boulder, CO conference call. Susp. Leccinum
sp. Patients: 3 adults and 2 adolescents. One of the adults had
flown home to Boulder. All five patients had eaten a
raw piece of mushroom which a Mexican naturalist had given them,
telling them it was good to eat.
The description provided was of a large pored mushroom with reddish
orange cap, the white flesh of which had turned black. Three hours
post-ingestion
all experienced nausea, intestinal cramps, and vomiting. At a Oaxaca
hospital they were given hydrocortisone shots, IVs and 4
other unknown drugs. All were feeling better the
next day, but two had headaches. RMPDC case #924208.
8-3-03 Aurora, CO. Mixed ingestion of at least two species of unknown
mushrooms. Call from Aurora South Hosp. Russian mother, 50, father,
and 19 yr. old daughter collected
mushrooms in mountains. The mushrooms were cooked and eaten in a soup.
Profuse vomiting began 1 1/2 hrs
later. Father was to try to collect more mushrooms for ID, but became
too sick to do so. LFTs were slightly elevated. RMPDC case
#925092.
8-6-03 Estes Park, CO. Amanita muscaria. Male, 20, had eaten a
quarter-size piece of mushroom that a Rocky Mountain National Park
ranger had IDd. Although his only symptoms were
dizziness and a feeling of stimulation, he was concerned about possible
lasting effects. He was
reassured that there should not
be any, but these are not considered a very good "trip". He was advised
to call if he had any additional
problems. RMPDC case #927032.
8-6-03 Ft. Collins, CO. Susp. Agaricus sp. At 11:05PM, husband
reported his wife, 90 minutes before, had eaten cooked slices of a
mushroom which
had been growing in their yard. She had vomited 3-4x. They had looked
the mushroom up on the internet and believed it was a "horse
mushroom". RMPDC case #927363.
8-14-03 Rye, CO. Pos. Leccinum sp. Adult male and female.
Mushrooms had been picked by a friend at 8000 ft. elevation. She had
given them to the husband who had cooked them and
served them to 6 people. Female began vomiting 30 min. later. Male had
vomiting and diarrhea one hour
post-ingestion. Male who prepared meal ate a small amount and had some
loose stools. His wife didn’t eat any and was not sick. Unable
to reach the woman who had collected them because of
the remote area. RMPDC case #931966.
8-15-03 Near Missoula, MT. Amanita muscaria or related species.
Veterinarian reported dog had vomited a lot, was unconscious, then
lethargic, after eating a "puffball". "Puffball"
white on top, but with gills. No stem available. Outer layer thick and
peels off. I advised on what to expect. On follow up
the next day, the dog was fully recovered as predicted. RMPDC case
#932618.
8-18-03 Durango, CO. Mixed ingestion: identified by "experts" as Cortinarius
sp., corals, and boletes. MD at Mercy Hosp. reported that female,
34, had gone mushroom hunting with "experts" who
told her the mushrooms were edible. The mushrooms were picked on Sun.
and left at
room temp. On Tues. or Wed. she nibbled on the corals. On Wed. she
cooked and ate the other two. Wed. evening she had chills, fever,
muscle aches,
abdominal cramps and vomiting. All leftover mushrooms in plastic bags
seemed very deteriorated according to the MD. LFTs
and all other tests normal. RMPDC case #934581.
8-20-03 Grand Junction, CO. Mixed ingestion: Helvella sp. and
chanterelles. Female nurse, 53, ate "morels", collected by friends,
along with a couple of glasses of
wine. Symptoms began 2 hours later. She experienced nausea, a floating
feeling, and tingling in lips and arms. She felt like
her blood pressure had dropped. After self-induced
vomiting she felt better and slept. The following day while at work at
the VA Hospital she had a severe headache at the
back of her head, and at noon the other symptoms reoccurred. "Morels"
were described as smooth, dark brown, the largest
one (not eaten) was shaped like a saddle. RMPDC case #935755.
9-1-03 Salida, CO. Unidentified "puffball" (?). Female and male, both
in 70s, ate sliced, grilled "puffball" at 2PM on 8-31. Vomiting began 1
1/2 hrs later. Patients
drove 30 miles to hospital at 7:30PM. Symptoms had resolved and
patients released at 9:30PM. RMPDC - no case #.
9-1-03 Salida, CO. Unidentified "puffball". (See case above.) Adult
male apparently ate some of the same. He wasn’t as sick as the two
above, and elected not to go to the hospital. RMPDC - no case #.
9-2-03 Frisco, CO. Russula spp. Dehydrated mushrooms were
picked in France. Adult female, 32, ate cooked mushrooms (up to 4 spp.)
for
breakfast. Symptoms of nausea, vomiting, diarrhea
began 6-6 1/2 hrs. later. She was treated in the Summit County Critical
Care Unit with an anti-emetic.
She was described as very anxious and hyperventilating. These symptoms
probably due to the fact that she is Ukrainian, and the
death rates from mushroom poisonings are very much
higher in Europe/Asia than in this country. Advised that LFTs be done
and repeated. RMPDC case #943581.
9-7-03 Butte, MT. Unidentified puffball. Dog, Yorkshire terrier, ate a
small piece of a puffball. Vomiting and diarrhea began 30 min. later.
Charcoal and fluids administered at a veterinarian
clinic. Mushroom described by vet was definitely a puffball, 3 to 3 1/2
cm dia. RMPDC case #946386.
9-9-03 Colo. Springs, CO. Unidentified mushroom,
but suspect Russula spp.
MD reported a Russian female, 28, picked mushrooms on Pike’s
Peak,
which were subsequently cooked and eaten. Symptoms began one hr. later
and included dizziness, sweating, and difficulty breathing.
Vomiting
was self-induced, after which she felt better. Two hours later she ate
an apple, became frightened, and self-induced vomiting again.
She
eventually vomited 5x and had 4 episodes of diarrhea. Husband described
the mushroom from memory. Description was consistent with
Russulas. He
was to get uncooked specimens from home, but didn’t when wife began
feeling better. Again, anxiety due in large part to high
incidence of
fatalities from mushroom poisonings in Europe and Asia. RMPDC case
#947614.
10-24-03 Longmont, CO. Susp. hallucinogenic species.
Urgent Care Clinic MD reported a female, 17, ate some "chocolate
mushrooms" on Sun., 10-19. She
began vomiting within minutes and later
had diarrhea. She had hot and cold flashes and great anxiety which
continued to Fri.,
10-24. She was also on Lexapro, an
antidepressant.
LFTs were being done. Advised MD that reassurance is most important
treatment in such cases. On follow up she had been
released and no
further info was available. RMPDC case #971575.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
CASES OF INTEREST NOT INVOLVING SYMPTOMS CAUSED BY
MUSHROOMS
3-22-03 Oahu, Hawaii. Susp. small Lepiota sp. Tripler Hosp. MD
at 12:10AM reported that female, 3, had eaten a small bite of a small
white
mushroom with brownish scales on cap. Charcoal had
been administered one hr. post-ingestion. Advised that LFTs be done.
Since some of the small Lepiota
spp. can contain the deadly amatoxins, I gave instructions
on how to do the Meixner test. Called Don Hemmes in Hilo,
Hawaii and asked that he follow up to be sure the
Meixner test was done. Neither he nor I know if there are false
positives in Lepiota. At
11:30AM the child was OK and to be released soon.
RMPDC case #848998.
5-1-03 Boise, ID. Morchella elata. MD with Boise Coroner’s
office called to find out where to have test for MMH done. He reported
that a young
male had ingested a false morel and died. A RMPDC toxicologist advised
him to call the North American Mycological Assoc.
(NAMA), Strangely enough, I was not called,
even though I am a member of the NAMA Toxicology Committee and am
listed as an alternate contact for the chairman. I
have assembled a list of over 100 consultants all over the country for
use in mushroom poisoning cases. I checked with the
three other people who might have been called on something like this,
but none had heard anything about it. The coroner later said
the number he was given "didn’t
work". After much investigation it turned out that the case had
occurred several weeks before, and at that
time Robert Chehey, our consultant in Boise, had
checked the specimens and had IDd them as true morels, not false ones.
The death had
been from other unidentified causes, not the mushrooms.
Subsequent contacts with the coroner’s office revealed that a lawsuit
was expected and the MD was to be called as an
expert witness so he wanted to be prepared. I provided him with the
reference he could use for his own lab to test for
MMH in the specimens. RMPDC case #868605.
8-19-03 Yokosuka Air Base, Japan. Prob. Psathyrella candoleana.
MD at air base reported that female, 7, had eaten several small
mushrooms which were growing in a
yard. Description was uniformly consistent with P. candoleana,
including a hole in the center of the cap that ran
down the center of the stem.
Checked with other mycologists who have worked with mushrooms in Japan,
and they concurred. RMPDC case #934887.
9-10-03 Dolores, CO. Unidentified woody polypore. Sister-in-law
reported that a female, 39, had eaten some of a mushroom with a few
blue spots which had been growing from holes in a
downed dead cottonwood. She had been drinking. Caller refused to give
names or call-back number. Advised that woody
polypores are generally not toxic, but not generally eaten. Advised it
would be a good idea to go in for charcoal, but had
to do soon to be effective. RMPDC case #948226.
9-22-03 Quebec, Canada. Boletus sp. Mom called concerning her
son, 18, who had eaten some Boletus sp. on 8-16. On 8-28 he
became ill.
Jaundice began on about 9-1. His condition had
continued to worsen - platelets and white cells decreasing and a bone
marrow problem of
some sort. She knew the mushroom he had eaten was a
bolete. However, the MDs handling his case were telling her that the
illness was
caused by a "dormant toxin" in the mushroom that had
been activated by alcohol. They had obviously confused several poorly
understood (by them) syndromes. I
advised her that she was right, and that her son’s illness was not
caused by having eaten a bolete. I told her she was
welcome to tell the MDs they could call me, and also gave her the names
of some mycologists in Quebec (where our last NAMA conference
was held) whom they could call
for accurate information on mushroom toxins. Unfortunately, I do not
know what the outcome was. This call
did not come through RMPDC.
12-29-03 Brighton, CO. Amanita muscaria. Adult female had
visited Skagway, AK in early Sept. She was on an outing with a
naturalist who
showed them an Amanita muscaria, and apparently told them it
was deadly poisonous. She held it briefly with gloves on, but said some
juice leaked through the gloves. The next day her
hands got red, itchy and swollen. Later her feet and mouth were also
involved. She thought she had
foot & mouth disease. She came back to Colo. 2 or 3 days later. She
has been treated with cortisone and a variety of alternative medicine
substances and procedures including acupuncture.
Various treatments work briefly, but she says whenever she eats sugar,
mushrooms or alcohol she gets the
symptoms again. Her throat is also being affected. I advised her
symptoms were not from the mushroom (and it is not
deadly), but that her allergic
symptoms were sounding serious and she needed to find what it is in her
environment that she is reacting to.
She had an appointment with
her MD the next day. RMPDC case #1003226.