ALS cluster linked to false morel mushrooms
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), the muscle wasting disease of ice bucket challenge fame, is sometimes genetic, sometimes sporadic, but sometimes pops up in clusters. One such cluster in a little skiing village in France unnerved the local GP - and was eventually pinned on false morel mushrooms. The cluster in the Alps eventually grew to include 16 people— a total 10 times higher than the area’s small population should have produced.