Death Cap The Deadliest Fungus That Caused 90% of Fatalities From Mushroom

A single species of fungus is behind most deaths related to mushrooms and it is reportedly spreading uncontrollably.

Death Cap The Deadliest Mushroom

Mushrooms are notorious for their toxicity, but in reality, eating the majority of them only causes temporary physical discomfort.

Ninety percent of all mushroom-related deaths worldwide are attributed to a single species from Europe - the 'death cap' mushroom (Amanita phalloides).

It is very poisonous. According to BCDC, in October 2016, a child after eating the mushroom that was picked in downtown Victoria, BC.

Since it is a deadly poisonous fungus it's best never to touch it. Symptoms of death cap mushroom poisoning occur 6 to 24 hours after ingestion and include abdominal pains, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. The symptoms may subside after a day and give a false impression of recovery. However, by then, the toxin has already caused serious liver damage, which may result in liver failure and death, according to Health ACT Government.

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Amanita Phalloides Mushroom Reproduce Sexually And Asexually

Researchers have finally discovered how this dangerous species spread across parts of North America with such apparent ease, causing numerous deaths along the way as people mistook it for a delicious meal.

A. phalloides creates new generations by combining genomes in their native European habitats. It turns out that death caps do not require a mate to reproduce. A. phalloides in the United States can produce spores using the chromosomes of a single individual, according to a study led by the University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers, Science Alert reported.

Death caps appear to have been able to reproduce sexually and asexually in the United States for at least 17 years, and possibly up to 30 years.

Specimens gathered in 2014 from two distinct locations were found to contain identical genetic material, effectively making them the same individual. A second 'individual' was collected in 2004 and again 10 years later.

According to the researchers, the diverse reproductive strategies of invasive death caps expedite its accelerated spread, revealing a profound similarity between plant, animal, and fungal invasions.

When a mushroom duplicates its own set of chromosomes into two identical packages, it produces asexual spores. In contrast, sexual spores are created when two distinct parents each contribute a set of their chromosomes to their offspring.

Prior to this recent discovery, nobody knew that the death cap reproduced via both sexual and asexual spores.

Sexual reproduction enables species to evolve and adapt by increasing genetic diversity within a population. Due to their asexual nature, however, individual mushrooms can spread rapidly and survive on their own for years.

The spread of death caps poses a grave threat to human and animal health. During a particularly severe outbreak of death caps in San Francisco in 2016, 14 human poisonings were attributed to the mushroom. In the United States, there are typically few per year.

Now that scientists have a better understanding of how death caps are spreading in North America, they may be able to develop strategies to mitigate the threat.

The study was published in bioRxiv.