Dec 21st, 2020
2 mins
Warnings have been renewed following hundreds of people in France being poisoned by Death Cap Mushroom, aka poisonous amanita phalloides.
French poison control centres have reported a sharp spike in cases in recent weeks according to the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety (ANSES). There have been 732 intoxication cases recorded since July 2020 including some cases of serious life-threatening illnesses. Most cases occur in October when the weather conditions favour wild mushroom growth i.e. rainfall, humidity and cooler temperatures.
It is not only foraged mushrooms that people must be aware of (often people incorrectly identify the mushrooms) – poisoning risks can also occur from shop bought varieties, or consumption in a restaurant, of mushrooms that are in poor condition, undercooked or stored incorrectly.
This type of poisoning can lead to serious health issues such as digestive disorders, liver damage, kidney complications and even death.
There have been other instances of foraging poisoning cases around the World in recent years with cases reported in Canada, Italy, Hong Kong and Australia.
