Friday, July 8, 2022

Mushroom Growing on Garbage. Beware.

              Mushroom Growing on Garbage.  Beware.

Edible and poisonous mushrooms are hardly distinguishable in 
the wild.  Mushroom poisoning has virtually no antidote. It is 
dangerously fatal.

Dr Abe V Rotor
Living with Nature - School on Blog (avrotor.blogspot.com)
Also open Naturalism -the Eighth Sense


 
 
Volvariella mushroom growing in a garbage pit, 
Photos taken by the author, 2022

This kind of mushroom by its look may belong to the edible Volvariella species,  but the fact that it was found growing in a garbage pit, among other mushrooms, makes it suspiciously doubtful.  Volvariella may be distinguished from poisonous species like those belonging to the Amanita genus, but there are similarities especially in the button stage. Mushroom poisoning often occurs due these assumed similarities.

Readings:
 Volvariella and Amanita cannot be distinguished in the early "button stage"

"Volvariella volvacea, well known as the "paddy straw mushroom", is cultured in rice straw in the Philippines and Southeast Asia. This species also favors wood chip piles. Unfortunately, it is easy to mistake the death cap mushroom (Amanita phalloides), as well as some other Amanita species, for this edible species due to similarities in appearance. This mistake is the leading cause of lethal mushroom poisoning in the United States. Volvariella and Amanita cannot be distinguished in the early "button stage", that, for many, is considered the best stage to collect Volvariella for consumption. Like Amanita, the paddy straw mushroom has a volva, or universal veil, so called because it is a membrane that encapsulates the entire mushroom when it is young. This structure breaks apart as the mushroom expands, leaving parts that can be found at the base of the stalk as a cup-like structure." (Wikipedia)

What To Do If You Think You Ate A Poisonous Mushroom
Ashley Reign
Updated June 22, 2019 11 items

Never Eat Wild Mushrooms You Cannot Identify

Unless you're an expert on mushrooms, it's a pretty horrible idea to walk through the woods eating the ones you think are okay. The truth is, you should never ingest a mushroom unless you're 100% sure what kind you're dealing with. There are a lot of rumors claiming you can identify safe mushrooms based on broad traits, such as whether they grow on wood or whether it's easy to peel the cap. Ignore such rumors.

Two of the mushrooms that would be deemed "safe" under these qualifications are the Death Cap and the Funeral Bell. As you may have gathered from the context clues in their names, both can be incredibly unsafe to eat. When it comes to mushrooms, it's always better to play it safe than to risk the alternative.

Amatoxins Are Responsible For The Harshest Side Effects

The most serious cases of mushroom poisoning are caused by mushrooms that contain amanitin or amatoxins. Fatality rates from amatoxin ingestion soar as high as 50% around the world, and are around 10% in the US, Canada, and countries with easily accessible medical care.

Among the reasons why amatoxins tend to prove so dangerous is that by the time you start experiencing their symptoms, your body may have already absorbed them completely. You may not even suspect anything is wrong until over 24 hours after ingestion. As soon as you do, you should waste no time in getting to the nearest hospital because, unfortunately, the next 24 hours will be a horribly different story. This is where all the vomiting, cramping, and diarrhea tend to come into play.

The most important period, however, can be "stage three," when you will suddenly feel better for about 24 hours and may even be sent home. If you're sure you ingested amatoxins or if the mushroom you've ingested has yet to be identified, insist you'd rather wait it out at the hospital, no matter how much better you feel. The next day is when you're likely to enter stage four, which is when most people pass. Stage four usually manifests as a "relapse" and can include kidney and liver failure or a bleed out. 

Acknowledgement: Ranker Digital media company, Wikipedia, Internet

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