Australia - 3 dead after eating wild mushrooms, Leongatha, Victoria, Aug 2023 #5 *Arrest*

[Forest_Wood]

I think it's been officially confirmed that the poison / toxin was DC mushrooms, then obviously that's to be respected.

Has it really been confirmed for certain though? I read something about it being confirmed as mushrooms, but not specifically DC.

 

[TootsieFootsie]

The link I read within the last day or so seems to have thought that maybe EP was somewhere else and that it was only certain that the dog was there.

 

[Lady Bug]

Has it really been confirmed for certain though? I read something about it being confirmed as mushrooms, but not specifically DC.

That's correct. There has been an article by John Silvester stating CoD has been confirmed to be poisonous mushrooms. The species of mushroom was not mentioned.

 

[jjleroche]

No link, just my own Mrs Mangle observation and speculation as they have not been vaguely alluded to in the media or appeared in any footage as either being present at the house or in the company of EP.
It is currently the end of 2 weeks of school holidays here in Victoria. Had they been present at the house or with EP, then presumably they would have been sighted given their Labrador farting almost makes a headline at this point.
I can imagine that if the whole thing protracts out to 2024, and they weren’t residing at home, then I’m certain legal representation can arrange for mediated/supervised visitations etc.

Thanks for your response Neet_Mc. I had wondered whether perhaps Erin Patterson and her children are holidaying together elsewhere, and Beautiful Lab (BL) is a red herring, being tended to by others. JMO

The authorities of course, have to balance public safety with the human rights of the childen. I imagine it could be pretty tough going for the kids if they are still separated from their mother AND BL.

IMO if this aspect hasn't been sorted out already, I'm sure it will be very soon. EP's legal man is top-notch IMO.

 

[Forest_Wood]

Not least because one would worry it was the beef that was 'off' or contaminated long before thinking of poisonous mushrooms. I used to work in food health and hygiene - there's a pretty standard hierarchy of food poisoning culprits that cause severe food poisoning as they travel through the digestive tract, first with vomiting then diarrhoea, depending on which bacteria it is and the life cycle once digested.

The dinner guests had no reason to think they'd been poisoned by mushrooms and the food safety investigators would be wanting to check a) the meat; b) cross contamination of the food from other sources in EP's kitchen such as poor hygiene surrounding storing and preparation of other types of fish or meat or chicken which are the main culprits. Then they'd be wanting to check everywhere else the four ate or drank also looking for food poisoning or even spread of disease from unhealthy staff.

They wouldn't even be thinking of deliberate poisons or toxic plants for the first few days until it became clear the severe illness wasn't following the usual course of food poisoning.

That's very helpful information, thank you!

It's interesting how so many take "food poisoning" for granted. How often do we hear people say they got food poisoning from a meal they ate and one tends to think it's from meat.

I wonder how the hospital staff handled this type of toxin when all four of them showed up.

 

[SouthAussie]

RSBM

I wonder how the hospital staff handled this type of toxin when all four of them showed up.

It seems that the general procedure for diagnosing the type of food poisoning is to do blood tests and stool tests, to identify the type of bacteria or virus. Link

Heather and Ian Wilkinson, Gail and Don Patterson, were sent to Austin Hospital for treatment. Austin Hospital is specialised and houses the Victorian Poisons Information Centre.


The Toxicology Service provides specialist services for patients presenting to the Emergency Department following poisoning or because of a snake or spider bite. We also provide specialist care for poisoned patients requiring management within the Intensive Care Unit or a hospital ward.
Austin Health

The Victorian Poisons Information Centre (VPIC) commenced operation in 1962. It was located at the Royal Children’s Hospital from 1976 to 2008. In August 2008, the centre relocated to the Austin Hospital, to integrate with the Austin Hospital Clinical Toxicology Service.
Victorian Poisons Information Centre

 

[MsMarple]

Has it really been confirmed for certain though? I read something about it being confirmed as mushrooms, but not specifically DC.

I did a deep dive into the various mushrooms that are poisonous and one effect that stuck out is that it is the amanita phalloides that affects the liver and kidneys. Other amanitas cause gastrointestinal distress but it’s the death caps which essentially liquify the liver.

Also widely reported is that amanita phalloides is responsible for 90% of all mushroom poisonings and approximately 30% of those cases result in death. But beyond that what relevance is there in questioning whether a different fungus is the cause of the illness and deaths?

IOW what would it change in terms of the case? Please understand I’m not trying to argue but rather I’m looking for something I may have missed.

 

[Oona]

I have been looking for the link that I read this week (no luck yet).

There was a media report that the house seemed empty, just the dog was out the back.

Not sure what that means exactly, but it didn't sound like a lively household with a family present.

Was it this article?

Police 'no comment' on reports it was mushroom poisoning - South Gippsland Sentinel Times

Members of the media have been warned not to enter the Patterson property in Leongatha. VETERAN ‘Age’ crime reporter John Silvester reported on Wednesday this week that there has been “a breakthrough” in the case of the alleged mushroom...

www.sgst.com.au

 

[SouthAussie]

Was it this article?

Police 'no comment' on reports it was mushroom poisoning - South Gippsland Sentinel Times

Members of the media have been warned not to enter the Patterson property in Leongatha. VETERAN ‘Age’ crime reporter John Silvester reported on Wednesday this week that there has been “a breakthrough” in the case of the alleged mushroom...

www.sgst.com.au

Yes, that's it. Thank you!

 

[bearbear]

I guess it depends what EP thinks is on the line.

She almost certainly would not be incarcerated for an accidental DC poisoning. I have not seen one example yet of charges for an accidental poisoning (in all of our Aussie DC poisoning research.)

Would she think her children or others would look down on her if she accidently added foraged poisonous mushrooms to her dish?

I can't think what she might be saving face about.

That there is now a huge investigation and she is embarrassed that she lied about the source of mushrooms?

unless shes protecting someone who foraged with her? maybe there was a big basket full of wild mushrooms gathered and a couple of dc mixed in unnoticed, and that other person may have done the dehydrating?

 

[Ellery84]

I have a hunch that EP is not the only person being carefully scrutinized,

or more than one type of toxic mushroom ?

@Baby baby Jane

I wonder just how many “toxic mushrooms” police are indeed looking at?

 

[Ellery84]

unless shes protecting someone who foraged with her?

I mean, she’s not even admitted to foraging - has she? Have I missed that in an article somehow?

She said the mushrooms she used were store-bought, I thought.

 

[Lady Bug]

I mean, she’s not even admitted to foraging - has she? Have I missed that in an article somehow?

She said the mushrooms she used were store-bought, I thought.

Possibly she has ommited some information? What she has said about the store bought mushrooms may turn out to be true, but has she included every mushroom from every source?

 

[bearbear]

I mean, she’s not even admitted to foraging - has she? Have I missed that in an article somehow?

She said the mushrooms she used were store-bought, I thought.

but if she had foraged and dried the mushrooms, and not told the truth that could be why

 

[DeDee]

Possibly she has ommited some information? What she has said about the store bought mushrooms may turn out to be true, but has she included every mushroom from every source?

Well, I'd say Erin has omitted plenty of information and offered a lie to the Police about the dehydrator. However, I do recall that one of the health department officials contacted her via email to show photos of dried mushrooms in a packaging but they did not match what she felt she purchased at the Asian market.

Erin professed to using two different types of mushrooms in the BW dish. They are the 1) buttons purchased fresh locally and the 2) dried mushrooms purchased in Melbourne. Doesn't everybody know buttons are not poisonous? That leaves the mysterious dried mushrooms as being the Death Cap culprit.

Only portions of the released statement given to her lawyers have we seen. I imagine when the MSM org that originally obtained Erin's statement, there was a stipulation that only portions of it would be released to the public; otherwise, why not SS the entire statement for public consumption? Something is preventing it, imo. Perhaps only snippets of the statement were provided to the news org then those snippets are what "leaked" but who knows?

 

[jjleroche]

unless shes protecting someone who foraged with her? maybe there was a big basket full of wild mushrooms gathered and a couple of dc mixed in unnoticed, and that other person may have done the dehydrating?

Entirely possible IMO. As likely as other scenarios. JMO

 

[LordCyrus]

Maybe she was reluctant to admit to foraging because of the stigma. There's a minority who think its insanitary and some who feel its only for the poor.

 

[jjleroche]

Well, I'd say Erin has omitted plenty of information and offered a lie to the Police about the dehydrator. However, I do recall that one of the health department officials contacted her via email to show photos of dried mushrooms in a packaging but they did not match what she felt she purchased at the Asian market.

Erin professed to using two different types of mushrooms in the BW dish. They are the 1) buttons purchased fresh locally and the 2) dried mushrooms purchased in Melbourne. Doesn't everybody know buttons are not poisonous? That leaves the mysterious dried mushrooms as being the Death Cap culprit.

Only portions of the released statement given to her lawyers have we seen. I imagine when the MSM org that originally obtained Erin's statement, there was a stipulation that only portions of it would be released to the public; otherwise, why not SS the entire statement for public consumption? Something is preventing it, imo. Perhaps only snippets of the statement were provided to the news org then those snippets are what "leaked" but who knows?

Interesting points Dedee. I hadn't realised that (all)? button mushrooms are not poisonous.

Regarding the paucity of information from EP's statement, IMO investigators are doing what they can to keep information released to the public to a bare minimum. This is standard procedure.

Regarding the dried mushrooms, I found Ellery84's post showing a photograph of labelled dried mushrooms which her friend had stumbled upon in a store very interesting.
(Please note that I am not suggesting in any way that the brand on the container's label sells any product at all which could be considered dangerous. They are very highly regarded purveyors of gourmet foods.)
It does go to show though, that dried packaged mushrooms are indeed out there, which seems to be contrary to other information in this forum. I concede however, that I may have misunderstood. JMO

 

[SouthAussie]

Maybe she was reluctant to admit to foraging because of the stigma. There's a minority who think its insanitary and some who feel its only for the poor.

If that is what happened, it is time to move past the stigma. Because, at the moment, EP is a suspect in 4 (potentially deliberate) poisonings.

 

[TootsieFootsie]

I've never actually heard of any stigma attached to picking mushrooms, well not in Australia anyway.

And foraging for all kinds of edible plants has become quite trendy.