Mushrooms are a healthy product, rich in microelements and vitamins. However, mushrooms often contain worms that eat the mushroom, carrying the spores into the ground, thus spreading the mycelium.
When eating mushrooms, you should be aware of the dangers this product poses to human health, given the high prevalence of worms.
Worms are insect larvae that hatch from eggs laid by fungus gnats and flies. Mushrooms may contain larger worms called wireworms, which are the larvae of click beetles. Most insects become active in dry and sunny weather, so worm-worm fungi are most often found during such periods.
Most people believe that mushroom worms are not dangerous to humans. The idea that a worm will not eat a bad mushroom is true to a certain extent. There are quite a few mushrooms in the forest that are not damaged, therefore, products that are half or less damaged by insects are most often collected and eaten by people. When it comes to industrial preparations, wormy mushrooms are preliminarily subjected to special treatment.
Is there a danger of poisoning from mushrooms with worms?
The danger of poisoning from mushroom worms is quite high. Contrary to popular belief, worms can also grow in poisonous mushrooms. There are no wormy hedgehogs or chanterelles.
However, pigs, which cannot be eaten without prior boiling, are highly susceptible to infection. The mere presence of worms does not make mushrooms poisonous.
If you plan to take mushrooms for yourself, you do not need to take specimens with worms. The rule of careful selection should be followed. It should be noted that healthy mushrooms that are kept for some time together with spoiled ones can also be attacked by parasites. The fact is that worm larvae are very gluttonous, so the speed of their transition to healthy specimens is extremely high.
If you nevertheless decide to collect mushrooms with worms, you need to cut off all areas affected by larvae as quickly as possible. This will make it possible to protect healthy mushrooms. Upon arrival home, the mushrooms need to be processed immediately. To do this, you need to cut each affected mushroom into pieces and put it in heavily salted water for 3-5 hours. This way all the larvae will disappear.
There is another way to fight worms. You need to take any wire rack and put mushrooms on it. As they dry out, the worms will fall off and fall down.
Signs, types, reasons for the appearance of worms in mushrooms
Worms that parasitize mushrooms are larvae from the eggs of various fungus flies and mosquitoes. You can often see thick worms - click beetles or wireworms. They attack fruits regardless of type, temperature and air humidity. Only some species are not susceptible to parasites.
The larvae of flies and mosquitoes feed on the pulp, while at the same time performing an important role - transmitting spores into the soil. This contributes to a bountiful harvest. For one type of mushroom there are approximately 300 species of insects.
Important! In dry, warm weather, insects that lay eggs in fruits become more active, so collecting them at this time is not recommended.
If the fruiting body looks healthy and beautiful, but characteristic holes are found in it, this is not a reason to throw it away. The industry believes that a mushroom can be eaten if it is less than half infected with parasites. It is impossible to get poisoned from fruits with worms (unless they are poisonous or rotten). But few people want to serve food with larvae - it doesn’t look aesthetically pleasing. If the fruit is not rotten, you can give it an acceptable appearance.
What to do with wormy mushrooms
There are three options for how to deal with wormy mushrooms:
- Leave mushrooms in the forest. Often mushrooms affected by parasites are already rotten. The caps of such mushrooms can be left on the plot so that the mycelium starts,
- Take the mushrooms and subject them to thorough pre-processing. Even after this, it is recommended to fry or boil the mushroom.
Wormy mushrooms (non-poisonous) do not pose any obvious harm to health. However, there are various worms that, when settling in the human body, provoke various negative conditions.
The process of movement of larvae and the vital activity of adults in the human intestine leads to dangerous diseases.
Diagnostics
In the human intestine, a large worm is clearly visible on an ultrasound screen. If the parasites are very small in size, it will not be easy to identify them in the body.
In this case, a method such as a blood test for waste products of worms and the presence of pest eggs comes to the rescue.
If there is any suspicion of helminthiasis, you need to examine the stool, because most parasites live in the human intestines.
It should be noted that to make a diagnosis, doctors use the following methods:
- Stool analysis for protozoa,
- Ultrasound,
- Blood analysis,
- Tissue biopsy,
- Sputum analysis,
- Intestinal endoscopy,
- X-ray.
Treatment
If the doctor determines that the patient has parasites, therapy with specific agents should be started immediately. Preference is given to complex treatment to combine the positive properties of several drugs.
So, first they use medications that weaken worms, these can be drugs based on Levamisole (Dekaris). A few days later, the person is prescribed another anthelmintic, this can be Nemozol or Vermox.
Parasites in the body are paralyzed after the use of special agents. This effect eventually leads to the death of the worms. The doctor prescribes drugs at his own discretion, based on the existing clinical picture. The list of medications that are most often used to treat helminthiasis is as follows:
- Biltricide with the active substance praziquantel. The drug causes muscle stiffness and the parasites are paralyzed,
- Vormil and Nemozol stimulate irreversible biochemical processes in helminths,
- Decaris or Levamisole - the drug disrupts the energy exchange processes of parasites,
- Helmintox and Nemocid have a paralyzing effect,
- Vermox or Mebendazole eliminates cellular synthesis and energy metabolism of worms.
Additional treatment is also used:
- Sorbents: Enterosgel, activated carbon. Medicines remove toxic waste products of worms that are in the body,
- Symptomatic remedies: painkillers and antiallergics. Necessary to eliminate associated symptoms,
- The use of probiotics is indicated to restore intestinal microflora.
These drugs are well tolerated by people of any age. They are also recommended for preventive purposes. Lactation and pregnancy are special indications for therapy exclusively under medical supervision.
Attention should be paid to eliminating the possibility of re-infection. In the human body, worms and eggs that are present will constantly come out, so underwear and bed linen must be constantly changed.
Currently, medicine offers some belekarsten methods of treatment, for example, therapy based on bioresonance vibrations of organisms.
Are mushroom worms harmful to humans? – ParasiteKaput
We are not the only ones who like porcini mushrooms. Nothing strange - the most delicious mushroom was tasted by animals, slugs, insects and their larvae. There are more than 300 species of insect pests dangerous to porcini mushrooms.
It may be that while you are processing the harvested crop, some cockchafer may chew the entire stem from the inside.
But what to do if you come across a not very wormy porcini mushroom? It’s a shame to throw it away, it’s scary to leave it, what if you get poisoned?
Where do worms come from in mushrooms?
The worms that we see in mushrooms are insect larvae hatched from eggs laid by all kinds of fungus mosquitoes and flies.
Sometimes thick, hard worms - wireworms or larvae of click beetles - are also found in mushrooms.
Any insects that lay their eggs in mushrooms prefer to fly in dry, sunny weather, so at such times the likelihood of encountering a wormy mushroom is higher.
Is it possible to get poisoned by a mushroom with a worm?
Yes, but not from worms, but when the mushroom itself is poisonous. The opinion that there are no worms in poisonous mushrooms is wrong, it’s just a myth. For example, pigs, which cannot be eaten without boiling, easily get worms. At the same time, there are never very tasty hedgehogs or completely safe chanterelles.
But the worms themselves do not make the mushroom poisonous. And arguments based on the fact that “waste products” are poisonous have no basis.
What to do if you come across a not very wormy porcini mushroom?
If, after cutting the mushroom, it turns out that it contains worms, you can choose one of several options: 1. Do not take it. In this case, it is better not to leave it on the ground, but to put or pin the cap on a branch. Then it will not rot, but dry out. After this, the spores will mature and be dispersed over a large area. Next year you will be able to harvest a good harvest from new myceliums in these places. 2.
You can cut the white mushroom along its entire length into two halves and see if it is completely worm-eaten. Only the leg can be wormy. Then just cut off the cap and take it with you. 3. Wormy spots, if there are not many of them, can simply be cut off. 4. Or you can take the whole mushroom, if it is not old and flabby.
At home, such mushrooms are cut and placed in a salt solution for several hours (2 tablespoons per medium saucepan). After this, all the larvae present in the mushrooms will come out. After the salt water has been drained, the mushrooms must be thoroughly washed. 5. You can use a slightly wormy mushroom for drying in a hot oven. As soon as the mushroom begins to dry, the worms will fall out of it.
It's best to dry them in something like a sieve with large holes, so you don't have to separate them from the dried mushrooms later.
But in general, porcini mushrooms become wormy very quickly, since insects love them very much. Therefore, it is best to choose the time of their mass release for collection. This usually happens at the end of summer - beginning of autumn, after a slight cold snap and rains.
This period is very short, one or two weeks, so you should hurry to visit the places that you know as mushrooms.
Source:
Is it possible to get poisoned by eating porcini mushrooms?
Experienced mushroom pickers value the porcini mushroom very much. Another name is boletus. Dishes made from it are nutritious and healthy, these are delicacies.
White mushroom or boletus
About boletus
This is a red-brown mushroom with a hard stem. The cap is 7–30 cm in diameter, sometimes up to 50 cm. The leg is 8–25 cm high, on average 12 cm, thickness is up to 7 cm, but reaches 10 cm. It is surprising that the brown mushroom is called white. And all because it does not change after it has been cut, while others darken.
It grows throughout Russia, but most often among birch, pine or oak trees. Sandy soil suits it. It can grow in groups or individually. It grows in summer, but is most often harvested from mid-August to mid-September. It contains a lot of riboflavin, thanks to which a person’s nails and hair grow well, and the skin looks fresh and healthy.
But is it possible to be poisoned by porcini mushrooms? You can be poisoned by them if they are stored incorrectly, if you collect false ones, or if they are eaten by people who are not allowed to eat mushrooms.
Poisoning by false mushrooms
White mushrooms are easily confused with other similar poisonous mushrooms. The appearance of the boletus resembles a gall and satanic mushroom. Poisoning by these false mushrooms is not so common.
Sometimes they confuse porcini mushroom and satanic mushroom
Satanic
It looks like a white one, its counterpart, the false mushroom, is the satanic one, which is also called the forest devil. It also prefers coniferous or deciduous forests and soils rich in lime. It can be found under linden, oak, hazel, etc. It grows most often between July and September.
If the white one has white flesh, then the satanic one is at first whitish-yellow, but then the cut becomes red, and later blue or green. And his leg is thicker. Severe poisoning is possible if a person tries it raw. If dried, it is not poisonous. It is also not so dangerous if you boil it several times in salt water, constantly draining the water.
Poisoning by false mushrooms, namely satanic ones, is not severe, although there are exceptions. The symptoms are classic: dizziness, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, sometimes hallucinations, etc. The first symptoms of poisoning appear within 20-30 minutes. In this case, you need to call a doctor. Fatalities are possible but rare.
Gall
The second false mushroom that can be confused with white mushroom is gall or mustard. It is often found in summer and early autumn.
You can distinguish the gall mushroom by the color of the cap, its underside - it has a pinkish tint. If you cut it, its stem quickly darkens, after some time it becomes brown.
Whereas white always remains the same as he was in the beginning. Also, bitterling is never damaged by insects.
Bile or mustard can be confused with white
Its peculiarity is strong bitterness. Even if it was boiled or fried, under the influence of high temperatures, it not only does not disappear, but also intensifies. It is unlikely that you will be able to eat such a dish. However, you can still get poisoned if it is pickled or salted. Then vinegar and various seasonings mask the bitterness.
Gall fungus is dangerous. Symptoms of poisoning may not be noticed. On the first day after a person tastes it, he feels slightly dizzy and weak. Soon they too disappear. However, with any contact with the fungus, there is a risk that toxic substances will penetrate the blood. In a few weeks there will be problems with the secretion of bile, the liver will begin to work poorly.
If there were a lot of toxins, you can develop cirrhosis of the liver. Therefore, it is better to avoid this false mushroom . It’s not for nothing that insects and animals don’t touch it, despite its visual appeal.
Poisoning with edible mushrooms
But even if you have a full basket of real porcini mushrooms, you cannot guarantee that there will be no poisoning. There are many reasons why you can be poisoned by them.
Salmonella and staphylococcus, E. coli
This is a perishable product, they create favorable conditions for the proliferation of microbes.
If before salting they were kept at home for too long or soaked in water that did not change at room temperature, then they spoil. Another reason is insufficient salt during salting.
Symptoms of the disease appear after about 2 hours: nausea, stomach pain, vomiting, sometimes diarrhea or high fever.
Most often, botulinum toxin poisoning is associated with canned mushrooms
Botulism
Doesn't happen that often. However, it is dangerous because it is not always possible to recognize this disease. If after eating canned fish or meat the symptoms indicated precisely this disease, then in the case of mushrooms everything is not so simple. Symptoms characteristic of botulism (visual impairment) can be confused with symptoms of poisoning by fly agarics, stitches, etc.
Harmful chemicals
Such poisonings are rare, but possible. They happen when stored incorrectly. So, if you keep them in a galvanized container, then after eating such mushrooms signs of poisoning will appear (after 15-20 minutes): the person feels sick, vomits, and has a headache. Later the condition improves without special treatment. You should not use aluminum cookware either.
Diseases
Mushrooms are difficult to digest. Therefore, if a person already has diseases of the gastrointestinal tract or kidney problems, consuming them in large quantities leads to gastrointestinal disorders.
But sometimes even an experienced doctor confuses the symptoms of a gastrointestinal disorder and poisoning with poisonous mushrooms.
He is sure that the disease is caused by poor diet, whereas it is poisoning, and therefore does not prescribe the necessary treatment.
You can get poisoned if you eat old mushrooms
Wormy and old mushrooms
You can get poisoned if you eat old mushrooms. Overripe ones contain toxic products of protein decomposition, so they are dangerous, like spoiled meat or fish. As for the wormy ones, there is no clear opinion on this matter. Some mushroom pickers claim that it is impossible to find mushrooms without worms, especially in hot weather.
Therefore, if it is not seriously spoiled by worms, it can be eaten by first soaking it in salt water. After this, all the larvae will crawl out of it. Other experts convince that insects secrete toxic metabolic products, so you should not eat them. It is worth heeding these warnings and not picking mushrooms that are badly damaged by worms.
Prevention measures
- Carefully inspect the collected mushrooms. If they have darkened, then they are not white, and you need to get rid of them.
- Harvest them early in the morning when they are fresh and strong. Avoid old and stale ones. After the first frost, mushrooms cannot be taken.
- You need to collect either in a wicker basket or a plastic bag.
- At home, immediately sort through your harvest and put them in the refrigerator. A warm place is a source of infection by microbes.
- You should not drink alcoholic drinks with them.
Poisoning by porcini mushrooms is not excluded, especially among inexperienced mushroom pickers who confuse them with similar, poisonous ones.
It is important to immediately call a doctor and provide first aid to the victim: cleanse the stomach, give activated charcoal and water.
Source:
Do worms eat poisonous mushrooms?
If for Europeans wild mushrooms (mainly truffles) have been considered a delicacy since the Renaissance, then in the countries of Southeast Asia they are widely used as medicinal raw materials and initial products for the preparation of dietary supplements. In America, public opinion has strengthened the belief that going for mushrooms is similar to picking hemp or pruning poppies, since in the USA and Canada they mainly collect wild mushrooms - hallucinogens.
At the same time, among the Slavic peoples and indigenous inhabitants of Siberia, mushrooms occupy an important place in the diet, and with the onset of warm days, “mushroom hunting” begins. At the same time, many reports of poisoning by poisonous mushrooms appear. Do worms eat poisonous mushrooms? There is an opinion that if a plant is inedible, then it is not suitable for feeding forest animals. Worminess, on the contrary, is a sign of benign, non-poisonous mushrooms. Let's try to figure it out, is this so?
Source: https://parazitkaput.ru/analizy-i-protsedury/vredny-li-gribnye-chervi-dlya-cheloveka.html
Preventive measures
As you know, parasites can settle in the body of absolutely any person. If you don’t give them a chance to get inside the gastrointestinal tract, you can avoid complications without much effort.
To do this, sometimes it is enough just to systematically observe the rules of personal hygiene.
Doctors also provide the following list of recommendations:
- Wash your hands before eating and after coming from outside with soap,
- Do not drink water from unknown sources,
- Fish and meat should always be cooked
- Wash mushrooms and other plant products thoroughly and clean them of parasites,
- Do not eat lightly salted or raw fish (especially river catch),
- Swimming in open waters should only be done if there is no doubt about it.
- Do not kiss pets, have them checked regularly by a veterinarian,
- When visiting exotic countries, pay attention to protecting exposed areas of the body from blood-sucking insects.
Washing mushrooms
Including washing in water in the mushroom cleaning procedure is not always justified. This way they pick up a large amount of moisture, losing their taste, so in the absence of the need for washing, it is better to limit yourself to dry cleaning with a knife and wiping with a damp cloth.
It is not necessary to soak mushrooms in water to dry and fry.
To soak after dry cleaning, use cold water with a little salt added. This allows you to get rid of the worms remaining in the mushroom pulp.
Mushroom varieties intended for pickling are soaked for 1-3 days, regularly changing the water with fresh water.
