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In November 2022, hospitals across Australia began seeing patients with sudden rigidity, spasms, seizures—and in some cases cardiac arrest—after drinking homemade poppy seed tea. The source? Food-shelf poppy seeds contaminated with extraordinarily high levels of thebaine, an opioid alkaloid that acts nothing like morphine. In this Outbreak episode, host Ryan Feldman, clinical toxicologist and emergency medicine pharmacist, investigates how pharmaceutical-grade, thebaine-rich poppy seeds were mistakenly repackaged into the food supply—and how poison centers, clinicians, labs, and public health teams traced and contained the threat within days.

You’ll hear firsthand from the experts who responded:

• Dr. Katherine Isoardi, Emergency Physician, Clinical Toxicologist, Medical Director, Queensland Poisons Information Centre
• Dr. Amanda Holford, Clinical Toxicology Fellow & Emergency Physician, Princess Alexandra Hospital
• Dr. Darren Roberts, Medical Director, NSW Poisons Information Centre; Nephrologist; Clinical Pharmacologist

Together, they walk us through the outbreak timeline—from the first ICU cases and puzzling “strych­nine-like” neuroexcitation to the multi-state investigation, product recall, and lessons for future foodborne poisonings.

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A fully timestamped version—so you can jump to any topic—is available to our supporting members.

💡 Key topics:

• Clinical presentation of thebaine toxicity (rigidity, spasms, seizures, metabolic acidosis) and how it differs from classic opioid effects
• Why thebaine behaves like a glycine receptor antagonist (strych­nine-like) rather than a sedating mu agonist
• How early-warning networks (e.g., PRISE in NSW; EDNA in QLD), poison centers, and forensic labs coordinated a rapid response
• Public health trace-back: mislabeled/repacked pharmaceutical poppy seeds entering the food supply; national recalls
• Practical ED management pearls (benzodiazepines, airway/ICU support; recognizing recurrent symptoms) and communication pitfalls during mass poisonings

📍 Resources & Mentions:

• Dr. Isoardi led case series on thebaine-contaminated poppy seeds (Queensland Health, NSW Health)
• Dr. Roberts led kinetics study on thebaine
• Prior Poison Lab Outbreak episode: Markham Aconite Poisoning

🎧 Listen now: www.ThePoisonLab.com

💬 Have thoughts or questions?

Instagram @tox_talk • Twitter @LabPoison • Email toxtalk1@gmail.com

Disclaimer: The Poison Lab is for educational purposes only and does not provide medical advice. If you suspect a poisoning, contact your local poison center. In the U.S., call 1-800-222-1222.

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The GOTTA PICCEM Poisonous Mushroom Game!

The Poisonus Fungus Amongus...

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• Poisonous Fungus Amongus- Children's Book ...

From the mind of a toxicologist who treats real mushroom poisonings alongside doctors and poison centers comes Poisonous Fungus Amongus—a playful, rhyming adventure into the fascinating world of poisonous mushrooms!

Inside, readers will find a colorful introduction to mushroom anatomy and ecology—learning the parts of a mushroom and discovering helpful hints for safe foraging and identifying dangerous look-alikes. Every species featured in these pages is a real poisonous mushroom, brought to life through vivid illustrations and engaging verse.

This beautifully illustrated book goes beyond the basics, exploring how mushrooms grow, reproduce, and take shape in nature—from tiny spores to sprawling mycelium to the fruiting bodies we find in forests and fields.

Through rhymes and clear explanations, readers learn to recognize essential mushroom features—caps, gills, pores, rings, bulbs (volvas), veils, warts, scales, spore prints, and gill types like free, adnate, and decurrent. Each detail helps distinguish the edible from the toxic—and shows how some features can fool us!

The story encourages safe and curious observation: note each feature, dig gently to look for bulbs, observe nearby trees and seasons, and check for bruising or color changes. Along the way, readers also discover fungi’s hidden ecological roles, from tree-nurturing mycorrhizae to the saprotrophs that recycle the forest floor.

With rhythm, rhyme, and a spark of scientific wonder, Poisonous Fungus Amongus blends accuracy with imagination—inviting kids and adults alike to explore and respect the natural world, while learning that curiosity and caution must always grow together when it comes to mushrooms.

Perfect for young readers, nature lovers, teachers, and families who want to explore the mysterious and magical world of fungi!

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The GOTTA PICCEM Poisonous Mushroom Game!

The Poisonus Fungus Amongus Children's Book!

• Full book reading (6 minutes!)