Mushroom poisoning cases on the rise

As the weather conditions in the last 10 days were favorable for fungi to grow, as many as 33 persons, including 4 children, got poisoned with mushrooms, Info-Prim Neo reports. According to the National Preventive Medicine Center, from the beginning of the year the number of mushroom poisoning cases amounted to 23, in which 63 persons suffered, including 13 children. Dr. Varfolomei Calmyc, the director of the Center, says that approximately in two hours after eating toxic mushrooms one can feel dizzy, experience vomiting, diarrhea, and excessive sweating. After six hours, nausea and vomiting may get worse and strong headaches may appear. After 72 hours, severe hepatic complications and renal insufficiency caused by mushroom poisoning can result in death. There are certain types of mushrooms that may become toxic when combined with alcohol, Calmyc warned. To prevent mushroom poisoning, also known as mycetisism, doctors recommend boiling the picked mushrooms in several changes of water, and, of course, mushroom gatherers need to be very familiar with the mushrooms they intend to collect, including knowledge of the toxic species that look similar to these edible species.