Man dies after sip of popular holiday drink caused severe brain damage from killer fungus - warning issued over drinking coconut water

The 69 year old man from Aarhus, Denmark, reportedly took a sip of the juice using a straw but immediately discarded it due to its foul taste. Upon opening the coconut, he found it to be slimy and rotten inside, leading him to throw it away. It is believed that the man had purchased the coconut a month prior and left it on his kitchen table rather than refrigerating it, causing it to spoil.

Approximately three hours after drinking the spoiled coconut water, the man began experiencing fever, sweats, and vomiting. Paramedics were called to his home where they found him disoriented, pale, and unable to balance. He was rushed to hospital where an MRI scan revealed severe brain swelling, although doctors were initially unsure of the cause.

Despite being treated in intensive care for metabolic encephalopathy - a chemical imbalance in the brain, the man was declared brain dead after spending 26 hours in the hospital. An autopsy later revealed the presence of fungus in his windpipe, reports the Mirror.

Further analysis of the discarded coconut identified the fungus arthrinium saccharicola, which produces the toxic compound 3-nitropropionic acid known to cause severe brain damage. Cases of poisoning from this toxin have been reported in China and Africa over the past decades, with rotten sugarcane often identified as the source.

The incident has prompted warnings about the importance of storing coconut water in the fridge and consuming whole coconuts within a few days. Dr Samuel Choudhury, a Singapore-based expert, advised his 326,000 Instagram followers: "Always store these coconuts in the fridge because they are already partially peeled. Only whole coconuts can be stored at room temperature."