MOH warns: Avoid toxic mushrooms in rainy season

During the rainy season, various types of mushrooms often grow in forests and areas around trees, so the Ministry of Health has issued an advisory to consumers to avoid mushroom poisoning.
Among naturally grown mushrooms, some are safe, but some are so poisonous that they can cause severe poisoning and even death, the Department of Public Health has warned.
The appearances of poisonous mushrooms include a sack-like base, a ring on the stem, sparse scales, white gills, bright colours on the cap, and the release of green spores.
Ingestion of toxic mushrooms can cause nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhoea within 20 minutes to four hours of eating, and even death in severe cases. Moreover, it can cause brain and nervous system damage, resulting in confusion, hyperactivity, and depression.
With symptoms and severity depending on the type of mushroom, the amount of toxins (for instance: Cyclopeptides, Gyromitrin, Orellanine, and Muscarine among others), age, and personal immune system, the elderly and those with underlying medical conditions are more likely to experience severe poisoning.
If consumers experience poisonous symptoms, they should seek medical attention immediately and be taken to the nearest hospital for treatment. The best prevention is to avoid eating unfamiliar, suspicious, poisonous and never-eaten mushrooms, it said. — Htun Htun/ZN

Source: The Global New Light of Myanmar