Three suffer food poisoning after consumption of mushrooms

Three suffered food poisoning a few hours after consuming self-made tea with mushrooms, the Centre for Health Protection announced tonight. 

Two women and a man, aged from 73 to 75, developed gastrointestinal symptoms, numbness and palpitation about one and a half to three and a half hours after consuming self-made tea with mushrooms, purchased from a store in Ap Lei Chau, at a restaurant on the morning of June 3. 

The patients were admitted to the Accident and Emergency Department of Queen Mary Hospital on the same day. They have been in stable condition and were discharged upon management. 

The center said mushroom poisoning is generally acute, and common presentations including gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain will appear shortly after ingestion. 

Patients may have other symptoms like profuse sweating, hallucination, coma or other neurological symptoms as well as liver failure depending on the mushroom species. The center also warned death may result in severe cases. 

The center advised the public to buy mushrooms from reputable and reliable suppliers and not to buy mushroom products which may be mixed with unknown species. It added that the public should not pick wild mushrooms for consumption as it is difficult to distinguish edible mushroom species from inedible ones. 

Mixing of edible species with inedible or poisonous species of mushroom will not dilute toxicity, and cooking in most cases does not destroy toxicity as well, the center reminded the public. 

The public is advised to seek immediate medical attention and bring along any available remnant for identification if mushroom poisoning is suspected.