Some fungi produce toxins that cause severe illness when ingested.
One bite of the mushroom Amanita muscaria is enough to kill a person within a few days. It produces a potent neurotoxin . Symptoms of gastritis are followed by liver damage. Some mushrooms in the genus Psilosybe produce mind-altering compounds that induce trances and hallucinations. Aflatoxin is made by the fungus Aspergillus flavus.