What happens when you eat the death cap mushroom suspected of killing three people in Leongatha

What happens when you eat the death cap mushroom suspected of killing three people in Leongatha

• Killer mushroom causes severe symptoms
• The will mushroom leads to kidney and liver failure
• No known cure for toxin in death cap mushrooms

By Pranav Harish For Daily Mail Australia

Published: 05:00 BST, 10 August 2023 | Updated: 05:17 BST, 10 August 2023

The death cap mushroom suspected of being the ingredient that tragically killed three Victorians is one of the most poisonous food sources in the world with horrifying effects on the human body when eaten. 

A source familiar with the incident told Guardian Australia that the infamous lunch behind the suspected poisoning included a beef Wellington pie as its main course. 

The lunchtime dish left three people dead and one man fighting for his life. 

Deathcap mushrooms are one of the most deadly foods in the world after three people in Victoria died from suspected mushroom poisoning after it was revealed the dish that fatally killed the victims was a beef Wellington pie

Common recipes for beef wellington pie often call for mushrooms to be included in the meal, with some suggesting chestnut or wild varieties.

The toxin in the death cap mushroom causes nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea after it’s consumed – but the damage to the human body can be far worse.

Dubbed the silent killer, the toxin in the mushroom known as a-Amanitin also damages the liver and kidneys. 

The chemical make-up of the fungi will cause these organs to fail, leading to the person’s death. 

Most people who consume the mushrooms – known as Amonita phalloides – die within six to 10 days. 

The wild mushrooms contain a dangerous toxin that can cause kidney and liver failure as well as more immediate symptoms including nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea

Michael Robertson, an Independent Forensic Consulting director who has spent years analysing poisonous substances, told ABC News the harmful effects of the mushroom on the human body are not felt instantly. 

‘It’s a little bit like paracetamol in that sense. You can take an overdose of paracetamol and you might get a little bit sick for a day, and then you recover,’ Dr Robertson said. 

He said the toxin from the wild mushroom slowly begins to stop the liver from working. 

‘But what’s happening in the body is you’re getting liver toxicity, and that’s when people die,’ he said. 

The deadly substance in the mushroom prevents a vital chemical in the liver known as RNA polymerase II, which decodes our DNA, from blocking the drug. 

The strength of the deadly toxin overpowers the protein produced by the liver, causing severe illness.  

The time it takes before people start becoming sick from having eaten the mushrooms can vary. 

Experts say the mushrooms are silent killers as people who have eaten them won’t feel sick until some before the toxin in the mushroom, which is found in the cap, ring, and gills, takes over the person’s body and can lead to death

According to NSW Health, people can report feeling unwell anywhere between half-an-hour to several hours. 

It may also take several days before people report being unwell and present to hospitals for emergency care. 

The deadly toxin in the mushroom is found in the vegetable’s cap and gills. The substance is also found in the ring at tip of the mushroom’s stalk. 

There are no known cures to treat people who have eaten wild mushrooms. Kidney and liver treatments are required if the person becomes severely ill. 

Cooking the vegetable will not remove the dangerous toxin from the vegetable.  People have been urged to buy mushrooms that are sold at supermarkets. 

In 2012, two people died in Canberra after eating death cap mushrooms at a New Year’s Eve dinner party. 

:

***
Read more at DailyMail.co.uk