2010 No.2 The Newsletter of the Alberta Mycological Society NAMA Toxicology NAMA receives on average following up on the Leccinum case one report a year of a human Committee Report as well as in a case of mixed death from mushrooms and rarely unknown mushrooms probably receives a report of a liver for 2009 containing some Amatoxins. Any transplant due to mushroom time a family member is lost to poisoning. This year there were at premature death it is a tragedy for least eleven and possibly 17 people the family. Reading the obituaries who consumed mushrooms of the individuals made one realize containing amatoxin including North American the loss to their communities as four people who died. One well. death each was attributed to a Mushroom Other cases reported on 57 Destroying Angel (Amanita people with some form of GI bisporigera or a look-alike), a distress, one person where Western Destroying Angel Poisonings mushrooms were an unintended (Amanita ocreata), Amanita sleep aid and one case of contact phalloides and Lepiota dermatitis. As usual the leading subincarnata (josserandii). The cause of poisoning was person who died from Amanita Michael W. Beug, PhD, Chlorophyllum molybdites and bisporigera or a look-alike had some of those poisonings were very received a liver transplant, but Chair NAMA Toxicology severe, resulting in blood in the died a couple of weeks later of an Committee stools and vomitus. Aspergillus infection in her lungs. Also, as usual, Marilyn Shaw One person who consumed stayed available 24/7 via phone Amanita phalloides would have NCT00915681). Injectable silibinin and contributed roughly 50 % of died, but received a successful is a well established and approved the reports, with human incidents liver transplant. There is no treatment for amatoxin poisonings from all reporters totaling 76 proven antidote for amatoxin and in Europe. Oral milk thistle people. in regions where good hospital preparations are poorly absorbed We received the first report care is not available, about 60% of and thus impractical for clinical of a poisoning from Gymnopus cf the victims will die. But it is clear use in amatoxin poisoning (see villosipes and a question has been that excellent supportive care in a www.bayareamushrooms.org/ raised by the victim as to whether hospital can reduce the death rate poisonings/index.html for more on or not the mushroom could have to less than 15%, with the death this subject with photos and caused certain ongoing problems. rate falling well below 10% when information by Debbie Viess). This case, a similar one involving a liver transplant is possible. In addition to the deaths morels, and other puzzling In the summer of 2009 from Amatoxins, there was one symptoms will be discussed in a Madaus Pharma initiated an FDA death where the ingestion of a “Mushroom Mysteries” article to be sanctioned open clinical trial of Leccinum sp (broadly in the published separately. intravenous silibinin-Legalon-Sil aurantiacum complex) caused a In two cases individuals extracted from the common milk serious enough reaction to be a discovered their susceptibility to an thistle (Silybum marianum) contributing cause of death. Bill edible species by multiple (http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/ Bakaitis did truly heroic work in (Toxicology ...continued on page 3) www.wildmushrooms.ws Summer 2010 No. 2 1 President’s Message 2010 Executive Alberta Mycological GetGet outout therethere Society President: Martin Osis President: Martin Osis andand pickpick somesome [email protected] The tremendous Vice President: weather has given us Robert Rogers [email protected] a wonderful crop of mushrooms!!!mushrooms!!! mushrooms. It Secretary: appears we are Deberah Kearns getting one of those one in ten Chad has been pumping out with [email protected] years mushroom fruiting so take his able assistant Thea, such as advantage of it. One species after duck-confit-stuffed morels. At the Treasurer: another are coming up including Bow Valley Parks Day display Michael Avenati [email protected] some that are not supposed to be Chad served up “red tops in a fruiting till the fall like the black tea cream sauce”. One of the Newsletter: epicurean Shaggy Parasol Parks people commented that this Sonja Lukey (Chlorophyllum rhacodes, the was the tastiest by far of all the [email protected] mushroom formerly know as Provincial Emblems and he was macrolepiota rhacodes). It was out right on. It was a shame that our Media Relations: in June this year and is still own members were scarcely to be Melanie Fjoser [email protected] fruiting now. Amazing! In the seen; what’s up with that? river valley and associated So get out there and pick Membership: ravines, I have been thrilled to some mushrooms and take in our Rosemarie O’Bertos find all kinds of mushrooms; some other events such as our [email protected] rare for Alberta such as the Sulfur Exposition “City of Shelf or Chicken of the Woods – Champignons” at the Devonian Foray Coordinator: laetiporus confericola in two Botanic Gardens. And especially Pieter van der Schoot [email protected] separate locations, the delicious the “Great Alberta Mushroom Bloody Agaricus (A. Haemo- Foray” in the Kananaskis Valley. Web Master: phoidarius), and the choice edible Just like the amazing year of Alan Fleming and medicinal Umbrella Polypore mushroom fruiting we also have [email protected] (polyporus umbellatus). an amazing year of mycologists Those of you who made it out coming to Alberta. To honour one Directors-at-large: to the Thompson Creek burn near of our Founders, Leni Schalkwijk, Lee Crowchild Saskatchewan Crossing we have a truly all-star faculty of experienced another rare mycologists. These are world class Katlin Kiss phenomenon, picking morels till mycologists that are coming and Robert Simpson you hurt. Each of my three visits lending us their time and Tyler Pell added 40 to 50 pounds of morels to expertise. Even if you have only my larder. Those of you who the smallest passing interest in attended the Solstice roast got a mushrooms, there is seriously no ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ MAILING A DDRESS: chance to sample some of these other place to be but in the morels prepared in a variety of Kananaskis Valley on the Alberta Mycological Society P.O. Box 1921, 10405 Jasper Avenue ways. Just thinking of it makes September long weekend (except Standard Life Building me hungry. Which makes me maybe Estonia). Don’t let this year Edmonton, AB T5J 3S2 think of all the delicious flavours pass you by. WEBSITE ADDRESS: our culinary chair and super chef Martin Osis www.wildmushrooms.ws 2 Summer 2010 No. 2 www.wildmushrooms.ws NAMA Toxicology Committee result of direct Amanita phalloides direct evidence that any Report toxicity. One was due to colic as a mushrooms had been consumed (continued from page 1) result of ingestion of Chlorophyllum by either of the horses. When Dr. molybdites. In her email about the Joe Ammirati forwarded me an consumptions, each time with a Chlorophyllum molybdites horse unusual report which involved a faster and more violent reaction. If death, Sherry Kay pointed out that horse getting high on you have developed sensitivity to a since horses cannot throw up, mushrooms (a humorous video of mushroom you previously mushrooms can pose a special the horse “under the influence” consumed with pleasure, we would problem for them. Sherry also was posted on the internet), and especially like to hear about it as mentioned that cattle frequently eat learned of the other horse an article about mushroom Chlorophyllum molybdites but with poisoning reports, he declared sensitivity is in development. One their many stomachs, seem to deal this the “year of the horse”. From or more people may want to have with it. photos sent to him in the horse their personal story published so Two horse deaths were inebriation case, he was able to we also welcome those reported in one incident where identify Amanita muscaria and submissions. mushrooms were strongly suspected Panaeolus (not a likely suspect) For dogs, there were 13 and the paddock was observed to from the paddock. poisonings reported with three, contain Agaricus cf crocodilinus, a possibly four deaths attributed to Gymnopus and unidentified (Toxicology Tables mushrooms. One dog death was Ascomycete material). There was no ...continued on page 9-13) probably due to ingestion of an Inocybe and these are known to kill dogs. One death was attributed to an Amanita in the muscaria/pantherina complex, though the symptoms do not fit well, and the mushrooms the owner presented as suspects were Chanterelles. A third dog death and a case suspected of resulting in a dog death involved liver damage, suggestive of amatoxin but no mushrooms were available for study. While mushrooms have long been suspected in some unexplained horse deaths, this is the first year that mushrooms have been clearly tied to deaths in horses in any reports forwarded to NAMA. This year we received two confirmed reports of horse fatalities resulting from mushroom ingestion. One was the www.wildmushrooms.ws Summer 2010 No. 2 3 The Great Alberta Mushroom Foray – Leni Schalkwijk Memorial Foray It is getting closer! 2010 Faculty Dr. David Malloch (New ○○○○○○○○○○○○○ The best mushroom event of ○○○○○○○○○ Brunswick), Professor Emeritus, the year. This year we are especially University of Toronto, Research Dr. Sean Abbott, (Nevada) – Foray excited for a couple of reasons. Associate with the New Mycologist, founder and Firstly, we have the best faculty of Brunswick Museum, first experts coming from all over North President of Natural Links Mold became acquainted with Leni America to honour our founder and Lab, Inc., is a specialist in fungal Schalkwijk in 1973 while he was mentor, Leni Schalkwijk. As past identification and received his working for Agriculture Canada attendees can attest, all the Ph.