POISON MUSHROOM EYED FOR LANDING THREE IN HOSPITAL
Linda Yee
Reporting
CBS 5, CA
March 30 2006
SAN FRANCISCO A family was fighting for their lives in the hospital
Wednesday after they may have consumed poison mushrooms.
Three members of a family that recently immigrated from Armenia are
at California Pacific Medical Center, where they are being treated
for severe liver damage.
Doctors say two of the family members are expected to be okay, while
the third may need a liver transplant.
The family consumed what doctors believe is the Amanita phalloides
mushroom, which is also known as the “death-cap” or “skull-cap”
The family may have bought the mushrooms from a roadside stand or
farmers market in Sacramento and Placer counties.
It is also possible the family could have picked the mushrooms.
Officials say the incident serves as a reminder to always buy mushrooms
from a reputable source and to avoid picking and mushrooms on your
own for consumption.
Eating poisonous “death-cap” mushrooms can cause abdominal pain,
cramping, vomiting, diarrhea, liver damage and death, according to
the California Department of Health Services. Abdominal symptoms are
usually delayed six to 12 hours, so victims may not initially connect
their symptoms to the wild mushrooms. As the initial gastrointestinal
symptoms subside, evidence of liver damage appears and some victims
may require a liver transplant to survive.
The California Department of Health Services says individuals
who develop any of these symptoms after eating wild mushrooms
should immediately contact the California Poison Control System at
1-800-8-POISON (800-876-4766) or 1-800-222-1222 and seek medical
attention.