‘Toxic mushrooms’ send 11 children and adults to hospital in Pennsylvania

[Still Waters]

Eleven children and adults were transported to a hospital on Friday night in Pennsylvania after eating and being sickened by “toxic mushrooms”, authorities said.

Emergency medical personnel responded to a report around 9.30pm of 11 people becoming ill after ingesting the mushrooms in Peach Bottom Township, the Delta-Cardiff volunteer company station 57 said in a social media post.

“Units were advised that 11 people had ingested toxic mushrooms and were all ill,” the post said.

 

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/oct/12/toxic-mushrooms-pennsylvania

[Gromdor]

We here in Iowa often hunt for Morels every year and eat them, but they are easily identified.  I remember people hunting for Chantarelles in Oregon while living their too.

Morels are easy to identify so there really isn't a problem of picking a toxic mushroom by mistake, but I can see people in other states hunting mushrooms varieties that might have similar looking toxic specimens and accidentally poisoning themselves.

Makes me wonder what variety this family ate.

Edited October 12 by Gromdor

[Buzz_Light_Year]

People often mistake False Morels for edible Morels. There are species of mushroom where their toxicity can only be determined on the microscopic level.

We had a local man that was considered an mushroom expert and well he died when he ate a poisonous mushroom. Some say it was on purpose as he was in his 80's.

[Tatetopa]

46 minutes ago, Gromdor said:

We here in Iowa often hunt for Morels every year and eat them, but they are easily identified.  I remember people hunting for Chantarelles in Oregon while living their too.

Morels are easy to identify so there really isn't a problem of picking a toxic mushroom by mistake, but I can see people in other states hunting mushrooms varieties that might have similar looking toxic specimens and accidentally poisoning themselves.

Makes me wonder what variety this family ate.

Yeah we do.  And now there is a big business in shitaki mushrooms.  Fresh ones go right on a plane to Japan and the pickers can get $30-50 a pound.  With money involved, some people get nasty, secretive, and physically protective of their sites.  Its all on national forest land.  Its just as dangerous as stumbling on  a pot plantation in the old days.

There was one guy in the news here  from Estacada  a small logging community. He was trying to get a SECOND liver transplant from mushroom poisoning.  I don't know if he did, he was not well received in the news. I don't think I would have put him high on the waiting list.

[Still Waters]

I haven't seen any reports yet about what variety of mushrooms they ate. 

Quote

The fire company told the station the patients were members of an Amish family who ate wild mushrooms they found in the woods and became ill. Responders only found 10 patients at the scene and later learned a member of the family walked half a mile down the road to a phone booth and called 911, WHP reported.

https://www.cbsnews.com/philadelphia/news/mushroom-peach-bottom-york-county-pennsylvania-police/

[Gromdor]

20 hours ago, Still Waters said:

I haven't seen any reports yet about what variety of mushrooms they ate. 

https://www.cbsnews.com/philadelphia/news/mushroom-peach-bottom-york-county-pennsylvania-police/

I visited a Pennsylvania foragers page and they are saying the most likely culprit because of the location and season is this bad boy: Chlorophyllum molybdites - Wikipedia

Of course it is just speculation at this time, but these are the people most familiar with what the probable culprit could be.

Edit to add:  Good news is that although the symptoms are severe, they don't tend to die.

Edited October 13 by Gromdor

[Occupational Hubris]

Lady friend and i will be enjoying some "toxic mushrooms" this weekend at the zoo. No hospitalization required.