The Death Cap Mushroom Is Spreading Across the US

Hugh Pickens DOT Com writes "Discovery News reports that the death cap mushroom is now an invasive species on every continent except Antarctica. It is spreading along the East and West Coasts of the U.S. and appears to be moving south into Mexico. 'When someone eats Amanita phalloides, she typically won't experience symptoms for at least six and sometimes as many as 24 hours,' says Cat Adams. 'Eventually she'll suffer from abdominal cramps, vomiting, and severely dehydrating diarrhea. This delay means her symptoms might not be associated with mushrooms, and she may be diagnosed with a more benign illness like stomach flu. To make matters worse, if the patient is somewhat hydrated, her symptoms may lessen and she will enter the so-called honeymoon phase.' Without proper, prompt treatment, the victim can experience rapid organ failure, coma, and death. But good news is on the way. S. Todd Mitchell of Dominican Hospital in Santa Cruz, California has treated more than 60 patients with a drug derived from milk thistle. The patients who have started the drug on time (within 96 hours of ingesting the mushroom) and who have still had kidney function intact have all survived. 'When administered intravenously, the compound sits on and blocks the receptors that bring amatoxin into the liver, thus corralling the amatoxins into the blood stream so the kidneys can expel them faster,' says Adams. Still, Mitchell cautions against the 'regular look"'of deadly mushrooms. 'They smell very good and when they're cooked, many patients have described them as the most delicious mushrooms they've ever eaten.'"

Re:News for the USA.

[rk]

An English language website, hosted in the US, owned by a US company, administered and run by US employees is US focused? It's shocking, I tell you.

so dont eat them

[Lumpy]

Honestly, who is picking up random shrooms and eating them?

Re:Why the hype?

[Narcocide]

I think the issue is that though they are relatively easy to ID, they are new to the continental US and can be easily mistaken for the Straw Mushroom, which *is* edible, so people assuming this mushroom still only grows in Europe may be in for quite a nasty surprise.

Re:so dont eat them

[Lumpy]

That's called Darwinism and it is a good thing.

Re:Lots of confusion and misinformation...

[dargaud]

Yeah, I'd add to be careful of online forums for mushroom identification. I use them but I've noticed that sometimes you get 2-3 posts confirming your identification, and then the next day a more knowledgeable guy rips them apart with the correct one. If you've eaten them in the meanwhile...