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. 2022 Jan 21;4(3):35-40.
doi: 10.46234/ccdcw2022.010.

Mushroom Poisoning Outbreaks - China, 2021

Haijiao Li  1 , Hongshun Zhang  1 , Yizhe Zhang  1 , Jing Zhou  1 , Yu Yin  1 , Qian He  1 , Shaofeng Jiang  1 , Peibin Ma  1 , Yutao Zhang  1 , Yuan Yuan  1 , Nan Lang  1 , Bowen Cheng  1 , Mei Wang  1 , Chengye Sun  1
Affiliations

Mushroom Poisoning Outbreaks - China, 2021

Haijiao Li et al. China CDC Wkly. .

Abstract

What is already known about this topic?: Mushroom poisoning is one of the most serious food safety issues in China. Most poisoning incidents resulted from eating mushrooms causing gastroenteritis and psycho-neurological disorder from which patients usually could fully recover. Most deaths resulted from species causing acute liver failure and rhabdomyolysis, and the remaining deaths were attributed to acute renal failure and hemolysis.

What is added by this report?: In 2021, the total number of investigations was 327 from 25 provincial-level administrative divisions, involving 923 patients and 20 deaths, and the overall mortality was 2.17%. Overall, 74 poisonous mushrooms causing 6 different clinical syndromes were successfully identified, 15 of which were newly recorded in China as poisonous mushrooms.

What are the implications for public health practice?: Considering the potential huge risks for collecting and eating wild mushrooms, we strongly advise not collecting and eating unfamiliar wild mushrooms. Promoting knowledge about poisonous mushrooms is essential and urgent to reduce mushroom poisonings. Precise species identification timely after mushroom poisoning is important for appropriate diagnosis and treatment. Many deaths were ascribed to delayed hospitalization.

Keywords: poisoning control and prevention; poisonous mushroom; species diversity.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Monthly distribution of mushroom poisonings in China, 2021
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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    1. Li HJ, Zhang HS, Zhang YZ, Zhou J, Yin Y, He Q, et al Mushroom poisoning outbreaks — China, 2020. China CDC Wkly. 2021;3(3):41–5. doi: 10.46234/ccdcw2021.014. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
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