Resort favorite drink leaves man dead from fatal fungus
In this DML Report…
A 69-year-old man from Aarhus, Denmark, died after drinking coconut water contaminated with the fungus Arthrinium saccharicola, which led to him being declared brain dead within hours. The man had purchased a pre-shaved coconut—a popular resort drink—and stored it unrefrigerated on his kitchen table for over a month, against the recommended 4°C-5°C storage. He consumed a small amount through a straw, noted its foul taste and slimy, rotten interior, and discarded it, but within three hours, he suffered sweating, nausea, vomiting, confusion, and loss of balance, prompting an ambulance call.
Danish medics at Aarhus University Hospital documented the case in a medical journal, detailing how the man’s condition deteriorated rapidly—his temperature hit 39.7°C, he experienced muscle jerks, and an MRI revealed severe brain swelling from herniation. Blood tests showed high ammonia levels, indicating liver failure, and despite ICU care, his pupils dilated, brainstem reflexes vanished, and he couldn’t breathe independently; treatment stopped after family consultation. An autopsy confirmed brain bleeding as the cause of death, with the coconut’s fungus producing 3-nitro propionic acid (3-NPA), a toxin causing encephalopathy—brain damage mirroring bongkrekic acid effects.
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The case echoes prior incidents in China and Africa since 1991, where moldy sugarcane caused similar fatal poisonings with no antidote available—treatment relies on symptom management for complications like meningitis or encephalitis. Dr. Samuel Choudhury, a Singapore-based doctor, warned his 326,000 Instagram followers on April 2, 2025, that partially peeled coconut must be refrigerated, as exposed flesh shortens shelf life and invites fungal growth. The autopsy found fungus in the man’s windpipe, underscoring the lethal risk of improper storage, with medics noting the disease’s rapid progression from just a sip.