April 2016 SOMAFrom the Sonoma County Mycological AssociationNEWS The Most Dangerous Mushroom By Cat Adams Monthly Speaker for April Jackie Shay (See page 10) Amanita phalloides Photos Courtesy of the mushroomobserver.org NEED EMERGENCY MUSHROOM POISONING ID? After seeking medical attention, contact Darvin DeShazer for identification at (707) 829-0596. Email photos to: [email protected] and be sure to photograph all sides, cap and of the mushroom. Please do not send photos taken with older cell phones – the resolution is simply too poor to allow accurate identification. Volume 28:8 Amanita phalloides Photo Courtesy of the mushroomobserver.org The Most Dangerous Mushroom The death cap is spreading. It looks, smells, and tastes delicious. By Cat Adams he death cap mush- Eventually she’ll suffer from Meanwhile, the poison stealth- room likely kills and abdominal cramps, vomiting, ily destroys her liver. It binds poisons more peo- and severely dehydrating di- ple every year than arrhea. This delay means her Many people who Tany other mushroom. Now symptoms might not be associ- there finally appears to be ated with mushrooms, and she are poisoned claim an effective treatment—but may be diagnosed with a more the mushroom was few doctors know about it. benign illness like stomach flu. When someone eats To make matters worse, the most delicious Amanita phalloides, she typi- if the patient is somewhat hy- they’ve ever eaten. cally won’t experience symp- drated, her symptoms may toms for at least six and some- lessen and she will enter the to and disables an enzyme times as many as 24 hours. so-called honeymoon phase. responsible for making new 2 SOMA | APRIL 2016 proteins. Without this enzyme, rooms. In California, a number intact kidney function and cells can’t function, and liver of immigrants have confused was started on the drug failure results. Without prop- it with the edible paddy straw within 96 hours has lived. er, prompt treatment, the vic- mushroom Volvariella volva- To keep the amatoxins tim can experience rapid or- cea, which is harvested in Asia. from causing damage, a drug gan failure, coma, and death. Upon ingestion of death cap, would have to protect the liver A few mouthfuls of death about 60 percent of the ab- while the kidneys eliminated cap mushroom can kill. Many sorbed amatoxins travel direct- the poison. A nationwide clini- people who are poisoned claim ly to the liver. Both poisoned cal trial is testing a new treat- the mushroom was the most and healthy liver cells spit out ment for amatoxin poisoning: delicious they’ve ever eaten. amatoxins into bile, which is silibinin, a drug derived from Extremely adventurous mush- then concentrated in the gall the plant milk thistle, Silybum room connoisseurs have sup- bladder. After each meal, the posedly removed toxins from gall bladder releases bile into slightly poisonous mushrooms the gut, and the amatoxins Every patient who such as the fly agaric, Amanita travel with salts in the bile. At still had intact muscaria—the archetypal red the end of the small intestine, and white polka-dotted mush- most the bile gets reabsorbed kidney function room beloved by Nintendo back into the liver. Amatoxins and was started video game enthusiasts and re-enter the liver via the same nature artists. A complicated receptors as the bile salts, and on the drug with- boiling process is said to al- the poisoning cycle repeats. low the nutty-tasting mushroom The other 40 percent of in 96 hours has to be enjoyed with no harm. absorbed amatoxins initially lived. Despite folklore to the make a beeline to the kidneys, contrary, the death cap’s which serve as the blood-waste marianum. When administered deadliest toxins, called am- treatment center of the body. intravenously, the compound atoxins, cannot be removed Healthy kidneys can extract sits on and blocks the receptors this way. Amatoxins cannot be amatoxins from the blood and that bring amatoxin into the liv- destroyed by any convention- send them to the bladder—an er, thus corralling the amatox- al cooking method, including ability that is rare for liver poi- ins into the blood stream so the boiling or baking. Freezing or sons. Until the kidneys kick out kidneys can expel them faster. drying the mushrooms also every last bit of poison, amatox- S. Todd Mitchell of Dominican fails to remove any amount ins continue damaging the liv- Hospital in Santa Cruz, Calif., of amatoxin, instead preserv- er. The kidneys can continue to and his team have treated more ing it to wreak havoc later. function only if the victim stays than 60 patients suffering from The death cap doesn’t sufficiently hydrated. Without amatoxin poisonings. Every pa- taste remotely like death—many aggressive hydration, amatox- tient who still had intact kidney people who are poisoned claim ins poison the kidneys as well. function and was started on the the mushroom was the most After the kidneys fail, rapid or- drug within 96 hours of eating delicious they’ve ever eaten. gan failure is not far behind. mushrooms has lived. Only Its appearance doesn’t scream But if the patient still has liv- a few patients sought treat- deadly, either: In its early “but- er and kidney function, and ment later and did not survive. ton” stage, it closely resembles enough fluid to urinate reg- The research hasn’t been pub- immature edible white species, ularly, she can essentially lished yet—60 patients aren’t including the common field pass the still-intact amatox- enough to confirm that silibinin mushroom Agaricus campestris. ins out in urine, like the small- really is the liver savior it seems Full-size death cap is reminis- est, deadliest kidney stone. to be—but the researchers cent of other innocuous mush- Every patient who still had are confident. “When we pres- 3 SOMA | APRIL 2016 SOMA OFFICERS SOMA is an all-volunteer organization, to which many in- PRESIDENT dividuals offer their time and energy for the greater good. Jim Wheeler As we grow as a club, and seek to expand the informa- [email protected] tion and impact we have on the public, we have need VICE PRESIDENT for more help from more individuals with special skills. Rachel Zierdt Eduardo is one who has recently answered the call. We SOMAvicepresident welcome him, and appreciate his efforts, wholeheartedly. @SOMAmushrooms.org -- Chaz SECRETARY Gene Zierdt [email protected] TREASURER Introducing Eduardo Astudillo Judith Tye-Angell [email protected] One day- COMMITTEES & BOARDS when walking in EPICUREAN GROUP the Ferry Building in Chris Murray S.F., I came across [email protected] a small mushroom FORAYS shop where they Patrick Hamilton had all sorts of edi- [email protected] ble mushrooms and MEMBERSHIP mushroom growing George Riner kits. I was immedi- SOMAmembership @SOMAmushrooms.org ately fascinated by them. That evening MUSHROOM DYE COORDINATOR I bought my dinner SOMA Newsletter Designer Dorothy Beebee Eduardo Astudillo SOMAmushroomdyes there and a mush- @SOMAmushrooms.org room growing kit. SCHOLARSHIPS Ever since that day I have been intrigued by the Rachel Zierdt vast world of mushrooms. While trying to research mush- [email protected] rooms in the Bay Area I came across SOMA and soon SCIENTIFIC ADVISORS joined. Darvin DeShazer (707) 829-0596 I am a Visual Designer with a focus on UI/UX De- [email protected] sign. This is my last semester at the Academy of Art Uni- versity in S.F. and will be graduating with a BFA in Web Chris Kjeldsen, Ph.D. (707) 544-3091 Design & New Media in May 2016. [email protected] I learned about the volunteer position through the SOMA CAMP REGISTRAR newsletter and I more than happy to dedicate time to a Chris Murray cause that I believe in. I look forward in working with all of [email protected] you and will work hard to modernize all media for SOMA. SOMA NEWS EDITOR Thank you for the opportunity. Charles W. Thurston SOMA NEWSLETTER DESIGNER Eduardo Astudillo Eduardo Astudillo eduardoastudillo.com [email protected] SOMA WEB MASTER Martin Beebee [email protected] VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR OPEN POSITION [email protected] 4 SOMA | APRIL 2016 ent to FDA, it will be a slam atoxins: aggressive hydration. dunk for approval,” Mitchell Part of the challenge of says. “The drug has virtually recognizing the symptoms of no side effects, it’s very well amatoxin poisoning and prop- tolerated, and if used correct- erly treating it is that mushroom ly it’s awesomely effective.” poisonings are relatively rare. After ingesting amatoxins, “pa- The first time a physician treats tients go into early renal failure a patient for amatoxin poison- for two reasons,” Mitchell ex- ing, Mitchell explains, is like- plains. “One, they just present ly to be her last. Doctors may so late that their kidneys have be encountering more cases already shut down. Or two, in the near future, however. more commonly, they’re just not The death cap mush- aggressively hydrated enough room is an invasive species from by the treating physicians.” Europe, now present on every Medical treatment often goes continent except Antarctica. It awry in the early stages of am- became such a world traveler atoxin poisoning. Poison con- because humans spread the trol centers generally recom- mushroom’s spores around like mend three main treatments, glitter at a kids’ glitter party. none of which is effective. Fungi such as the death cap First, activated charcoal is are ectomycorrhizal, mean- recommended to prevent poi- ing that they live symbiotically sons from being absorbed by on the roots of trees. The fun- the gastrointestinal tract and gus extends from the roots causing liver damage.