Warning issued after poisonous mushrooms kill 7, sicken 50
By Zhao Wen |
August 4, 2012, Saturday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
THE State Food and Drug Administration yesterday released a warning about poisonous mushrooms after seven people died and 50 fell ill from eating the mushrooms in northwestern China's Shaanxi Province.
The deaths occurred in the province's Hanzhong City, where rains and high temperatures made the city's mountain areas a breeding ground for wild mushrooms, attracting a large number of local residents from Zhenba, Mianxian, Ningqiang and Nanzheng counties to pick them.
By Wednesday, four people had recovered and left hospital. Nine were still in critical condition and 37 were recovering well, according to Xinhua news agency.
The administration alerted restaurants not to purchase and process wild mushrooms. It also warned people across the nation not to pick up and eat wild mushrooms.
Cities such as Shanghai and Beijing also issued warnings yesterday to remind citizens not to buy wild mushrooms.
Wild mushrooms are listed as a top killer in food poisoning cases. The deadly mushroom toxin cannot be destroyed through cooking, and there is no special treatment for it, the FDA said.
Summer is the season when wild mushrooms grow best and poisoning cases occur the most.
The FDA also urged government departments to teach farmers who have a habit of picking wild fruits and vegetables not to risk their lives eating wild mushrooms.
Once sickened, people have symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea and should go to hospital as soon as possible to eliminate toxins through emptying and cleaning the digestive tract.
Mushrooms sold at Shanghai agricultural markets are mostly produced in local farms or in the city's neighboring Zhejiang Province.
Local residents shouldn't worry about mushrooms at markets since they must pass a safety test before going on sale, a manager surnamed Hou, with the Shanghai Punan Agricultural Market, told Shanghai Daily yesterday.
The deaths occurred in the province's Hanzhong City, where rains and high temperatures made the city's mountain areas a breeding ground for wild mushrooms, attracting a large number of local residents from Zhenba, Mianxian, Ningqiang and Nanzheng counties to pick them.
By Wednesday, four people had recovered and left hospital. Nine were still in critical condition and 37 were recovering well, according to Xinhua news agency.
The administration alerted restaurants not to purchase and process wild mushrooms. It also warned people across the nation not to pick up and eat wild mushrooms.
Cities such as Shanghai and Beijing also issued warnings yesterday to remind citizens not to buy wild mushrooms.
Wild mushrooms are listed as a top killer in food poisoning cases. The deadly mushroom toxin cannot be destroyed through cooking, and there is no special treatment for it, the FDA said.
Summer is the season when wild mushrooms grow best and poisoning cases occur the most.
The FDA also urged government departments to teach farmers who have a habit of picking wild fruits and vegetables not to risk their lives eating wild mushrooms.
Once sickened, people have symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea and should go to hospital as soon as possible to eliminate toxins through emptying and cleaning the digestive tract.
Mushrooms sold at Shanghai agricultural markets are mostly produced in local farms or in the city's neighboring Zhejiang Province.
Local residents shouldn't worry about mushrooms at markets since they must pass a safety test before going on sale, a manager surnamed Hou, with the Shanghai Punan Agricultural Market, told Shanghai Daily yesterday.
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