CityNews – Nan’s Public Health Department has announced that five Lahu hill tribe people have been taken ill after eating a poisonous mushroom curry. Three of them were taken to hospital, the other two are resting at home.
Mushroom poisonings are common worldwide. The mushroom above known as the death cap is the world’s biggest killer, but thankfully there are no death caps in Thailand
On April 27th Chiawut Wankuan, a Nan provincial Public Health official, said the people had mistaken a poisonous mushroom for an edible mushroom. They thought they were eating the Crowded Russla (Russula densifolia), which is widely eaten in Asian countries.
Five minutes after they ate the poisonous mushrooms they began to drool and vomit. Three people were sent to hospital, but two remained at home.
The three in hospital are getting better but must remain in hospital for further care. The Public Health team is currently leading a party to care for the two remaining people who stayed home.
The symptoms from eating poisonous mushrooms include: nausea, vomiting, fainting, and diarrhea. Severe cases may require hospitalization, or could even lead to death.
A poisonous mushroom may have some, one, or all of these characteristics:
-Warts or Scales on the cap, that looks like colored patches.
-A cap that is umbrella or parasol shaped.
-A bulbous or round ball at the base that may or may not be underground.
-A white spore print. (See how to obtain this below)
-A ring around the stem.
-White thin gills.
-Small and brown.