A MUM and her daughter died after death cap mushrooms ended up in their dinner, it is believed.
Antonella Di Ielsi and her 15-year-old daughter, Sara, tragically passed away in hospital within hours of each other.
The pair suffered vomiting and stomach cramps on Christmas Day, prompting trips to the out-of-hours doctor and A&E.
But after being turned away twice, Sara’s condition worsened with astonishing speed.
She was admitted to intensive care in Campobasso, Italy, and died later that night.
Antonella, 50, passed away the following day.
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Cardarelli ICU head Dr Vincenzo Cuzzone told local media: “There was liver failure, followed by a cascade of events, one after another, at extraordinary speed, ultimately leading to multiple organ failure.”
Sara’s father, Gianni Di Vita, 55, also fell ill and was airlifted to intensive care in Rome on Sunday.
He said: “I’m feeling better, but I still can’t understand what happened.”
Investigators seized a range of food items and leftovers from the family home in Pietracatella.
The cache of possible contaminants included clams, mussels, cuttlefish, cod, flour and jars of mushrooms preserved in oil.
Tests swiftly ruled out botulism and contamination from rat poison used during pest control at the family’s granary.
The leading theory is now that an Amanita phalloides – commonly known as a death cap – may have found its way into one of the jars of mushrooms.
Even a small amount of the mushroom, roughly half a cap, contains enough toxin to kill an adult.
Death cap is one of the world’s most dangerous mushrooms and among the easiest to mistake for edible varieties.
It is responsible for around 90 per cent of fatal mushroom poisonings worldwide each year.
Typically, symptoms only appear between 12 and 48 hours after ingestion.
The couple’s elder daughter Alice, 19, did not attend the meal and did not fall ill.
The family ate alone on December 23 and dined with guests the following night.
None of the guests at the Christmas Eve dinner developed symptoms either, leading investigators to focus on the earlier meal.
Friends of Sara told local media: “We last spoke to Sara on Boxing Day, over the phone.
“She believed the heavy treatment at the hospital would be sufficient and didn’t expect her condition to deteriorate.”
Five doctors who treated the victims are under investigation for manslaughter and negligence.
Prosecutors say this is a routine legal step for these cases.
Post-mortem examinations are due to take place today while laboratory testing remains ongoing.
Town mayor Antonio Tommasone said: “These are hours of great sorrow for all of us.”