Fly amanita

Fly amanita; fly mushroom; fly agaric
Amanita
Amanita muscaria (Fr.) S.F. Gray
Amanita phalloides Fries—Death cap
FAMILY: Amanitaceae

DISTRIBUTION:
The amanitas are found singly or in numbers under hardwoods and conifers from the spring through the fall.

DESCRIPTION:
A. muscaria: cap: 8-24 cm across, convex or flat bright yellow to orange red, surface rough with white or yellow wartlike spots; gills and stem: white; stem: 8- 15 cm long and 20-30 mm thick; base of stem: bulbous; veil: white and persistent.

A. phalloides: This species is taxonomically complex, and occasionally several species are lumped under this name, The group includes A. verna (Bull ) Quel., A. virosa (Fr.) Quel, and A, bisporiger Atk. Recent evidence suggests that A. phalloides is rare and often confused with the more common A. brunnescens, which also is poisonous. True A. phalloides has a yellowish-green to green cap and white veil and gills; it is deadly poisonous. In A. brunnescens the cap is dark brown; in the deadly poisonous A. virosa the fruiting body is pure white and the cap is devoid of warts.

TOXIC PARTS:
All parts of the amanitas are poisonous.

TOXICITY:
The characteristic, well-defined symptoms of A. muscaria poisoning may occur within 3 hours after ingestion. They include increased secretions from salivary, lacrimal, and other glands; perspiration; and possible severe gastroenteritis; much watery diarrhea plus retching and vomiting; possible labored breathing; pupils that are rarely responsive; and possible auditory or visual hallucinations or confusion occurring before or during the digestive upset. For A. muscaria, deaths are rare, but in such cases delirium is followed by convulsions, then coma with death from respiratory failure. In some severe cases, the patient may experience a profound sleep lasting a few hours, then awake without symptoms or memory of the illness that preceded.

Symptoms for the more deadly poisonous amanitas include a 10-hour lag period (6-15 hours) before onset of conditions. They begin as sudden, severe abdominal pain. vomiting, and diarrhea. Blood, mucus, and undigested food are present in vomitus and stool. Thirst, anuria, prostration. and restlessness are also present. If quantities of mushrooms are consumed, death ensues in 2 days; more typically the disease lasts 6 to 8 days before death in adults, 4 to 6 days in children. Fever, hematuria, tachycardia, hypotension, rapid volume depletion, and fluid and electrolyte imbalance also may be present.

TOXIC PRINCIPLES:
A. muscaria. The toxins are choline, muscarine, and muscaridine The LD₅₀ i.v. in mice is 0.23mg/kg. A. phalloides and other deadly amanitas contain amanitine and phalloidine (complex polypeptides). The toxins amanitin and amanin, also present, are highly toxic; the LD₅₀, i.p. in albino mice is 0.1 mg/kg; for phalloidine it is 3 3 mg/g i.m.

TREATMENT:
A. muscaria: (Gastric lavage with 1:2,000 tannic acid or 1:10,000 potassium permanganate) or emmesis); (5 – 0.1 to 0.5 mg either IM or IV, repeated as necessary). Atropine sulfate is antidotal.

A. phalloides: Mortality is 50-90%. First empty the stomach, then: (1-1 to 2 tablespoons in H2O): corticosteroids and both peritoneal dialysis and hemodialysis to eliminate toxins and circumvent kidney failure. A high protein diet and intravenous doses of protein hydrolysate may prevent liver damage, Antiphalloidian serum is effective only when administered at the onset of symptoms; (26); thioctic acid, charcoal hemoperfusion, and vitamin C may be useful.