Simon Peterson decided to leave the gathering at the eleventh hour, but things took a drastic turn right after that. The intention was to have a friendly meal, but when it turned into a tragedy, it was pretty disheartening for the family members. The tragic deaths of Gail, Tom and Heather occurred within a week. On the other hand, Heather’s husband, Ian Wilkinson, is still fighting for his life in the confines of a hospital room. His situation is quite critical at this moment.
Erin Peterson is being questioned by the authorities because of the distressing outcomes of the event. The officials have executed the investigation to understand the cause of the deaths, which indicated that the ingestion of death cap mushrooms is the reason, as these are the most poisonous mushrooms globally.
As per the Australian Mushroom Growers Association survey in Australia, they discourage the harvesting of wild mushrooms because it carries some dangers and risks that can cause adverse results. Hence, foraging must be conducted under the supervision of a well-known and qualified mycologist who has knowledge of fungi.
Many mushrooms sprout during cooler seasons, even in the residential gardens of Australia, but when it comes to the growth of wild mushrooms things need to be managed with care and precaution. Even specialists may have trouble determining whether wild mushrooms are suitable for consumption because they can resemble the common ones sold in stores. Only reputable stores or authorized farmers’ markets should be preferred for purchasing Australian-grown mushrooms, urges AMGA.
1. Death Cap (Amanita phalloides)
One of the deadliest mushrooms, death caps are prevalent in Europe and resemble both edible straw mushrooms and caesar mushrooms. A Death Cap mushroom can withstand high cooking temperatures and damage cells throughout the body. It can lead to abdominal pain, vomiting, and bloody diarrhea, which leads to rapid loss of fluid from the body and intense thirst. It lowers blood sugar levels in the body, and the condition can lead to coma and death. In 1534, Pope Clement VII died of accidental death by poisoning.
2. Conocybe Filaris:
It is a lawn mushroom common in the Pacific Northwest which has the same mycotoxins found in death cap mushrooms. After 6 to 24 hours of consumption, it can cause gastrointestinal symptoms leading to stomach flu. The patient may experience gastrointestinal symptoms that can be accompanied by liver and kidney failure.
3. Webcaps (Cortinarius species):
The fool’s webcap and deadly webcap are two categories of this species and these are similar to the edible varieties. They have a poison named Orellanine that causes flu-like symptoms and eventual kidney failure. It has a long latency period, so this does not affect the consumer immediately or in a few hours; it may take 2 days to 3 weeks to show the symptoms, and mostly it leads to misdiagnosis.
