There is an abundance of mushrooms in Kastamonu due to the rains that come with the arrival of autumn. Citizens living in Kastamonu flock to forest areas to collect mushrooms, especially on weekends. Many people who ate mushrooms they collected from the forest area applied to Kastamonu Training and Research Hospital with complaints such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and dizziness.
It was determined that the citizens under treatment were poisoned by the mushrooms they collected from the forest. While 3 people were treated in the hospital with suspicion of mushroom poisoning in Kastamonu yesterday, the number of people hospitalized with suspicion of mushroom poisoning in the last week increased to 35. While 14 of the 35 people poisoned by mushrooms continued their treatment in the ward, 1 person in serious condition was intubated. As of last month, more than 100 people in the city applied to health institutions with suspicion of mushroom poisoning.
“YOU WILL BE LUCKY IF THE MUSHROOM DISCRETION PRESENTS ITSELF IN A SHORT TIME”
Kastamonu University Faculty of Medicine Department of Medical Pharmacology Dr. Faculty Member Çiğdem Sevim gave important information to prevent mushroom poisoning. Stating that most mushroom poisonings are caused by misconceptions, Sevim noted that mushroom poisoning can result in death.
Noting that rapid intervention is very important in mushroom poisoning, Sevim said, “If you were affected by mushrooms and came to the hospital in a short time, for example within 2 hours, you can consider yourself lucky. If the patient showed symptoms of poisoning in such a short time and you ate mushrooms beforehand, at least the patient’s life could be saved. Apart from this, there are also mushroom poisonings that progress later and more insidiously. Mushroom is celebrated as a traditional feast in Kastamonu. Mushroom is a very popular food item. But are the mushrooms we collect healthy or edible? Unfortunately, this is not easy to distinguish.
At this point, you should either consume cultivated mushrooms, buy them from a reliable producer, or collect these mushrooms in the company of people who are experts in this field. There is a mushroom that is very common these days and our aunts and uncles buy it in sacks in the markets. This issue also needs attention. Because the bloody mushroom can be confused with poisonous mushrooms.
Do not say, ‘I have been collecting mushrooms from the same place for years, we have been eating the same mushrooms for years, nothing has happened to us,’ because at that point, a poisonous type of mushroom can be found next to a non-poisonous mushroom. The poisonous species may have infected the non-poisonous species with its spores. “You may have consumed this mushroom without realizing it,” he said.
“THE VILLAGE MARKET MUSHROOM CAUSES 95 PERCENT TO DEATH WHEN EATED”
Dr. said that the most poisonous species among the mushrooms is the ‘village’ mushroom. Sevim said, “When eaten, it causes 95 percent death. When you consume this mushroom, you can lose your life; unfortunately, it progresses to organ failure. After eating the mushroom, don’t think ‘I was fine on the first day, I didn’t feel nauseous, I didn’t feel dizzy, I didn’t have diarrhea, I didn’t get poisoned’. Because mushroom poisoning can have an insidious course.