The first case of mushroom poisoning has been reported in the Irpin community
The first case of poisoning from inedible mushrooms this season has been reported in the Irpin community. A man was hospitalized in critical condition, but his condition has now stabilized.
This was reported by Oleksandr Pashchynskyi, first deputy mayor of Irpin.
According to Pashchynskyi, information about the poisoning case was provided by the Bucha District Branch of the State Institution “Kyiv Regional Center for Disease Control and Prevention of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine.”
“I urge residents of the Irpin community to exercise the utmost caution: do not pick mushrooms if you are not sure they are safe; do not buy wild mushrooms from street vendors; do not eat mushrooms about which you have even the slightest doubt,” emphasized Pashchynskyi.
If symptoms of poisoning appear after eating mushrooms, seek medical attention as soon as possible.
Nearly 2,000 species of cap mushrooms grow in our country, and up to 500 of them are considered edible. Mushrooms are most often used as seasonings for dishes or in canned form.
At the same time, it’s important to keep in mind that they are difficult to digest. People with gastrointestinal disorders, as well as the elderly and children, should refrain from eating any mushrooms.
It is important to remember that even edible mushrooms can sometimes cause poisoning. First, this happens when mushrooms are picked and consumed when they are old, overripe, or after prolonged storage.
Mushrooms are highly perishable (containing 84 to 94% water), so they must be processed on the day they are picked. Mushrooms picked in damp weather spoil particularly quickly.
The maximum storage time for mushrooms should not exceed 24 hours at a temperature no higher than 10°C. This is because ripe mushrooms become an excellent breeding ground for various microorganisms, including pathogenic ones.
In addition, as a result of biochemical reactions (protein breakdown), toxic substances (ptomaines) form in mushrooms. Second, it has been established that some species of edible mushrooms (white mushrooms, honey mushrooms, chanterelles, russulas, etc.) contain toxic, heat-sensitive substances that are destroyed when the sliced flesh is cooked.
This is why consuming undercooked or underfried edible mushrooms can cause gastrointestinal disturbances.
The pale toadstool, or green fly agaric, is one of the most poisonous mushrooms in the world. It is responsible for 90% of deaths from mushroom poisoning. Despite the word “pale,” this mushroom can have various shades: it can be white, yellowish, greenish, or pale brown.
The death cap has certain characteristics that experienced mushroom hunters are usually familiar with:
- a whitish, yellow, pale brown, or green cap;
- white gills (under the cap);
- a volva (cup) at the base of the stem;
- a ring (collar or, as it’s also called, a “skirt”) on the stem;
- found under oak trees, but not exclusively. It can also be found under birch trees. It often grows after heavy rains from July through November.
It’s important to understand that the widened base of the pale toadstool’s stem may be hidden in the substrate. Therefore, it’s better to pull the mushrooms out rather than cut them, so as not to miss this important characteristic.
Since poisoning occurs when these mushrooms are mistaken for edible ones, you must be absolutely certain of what they look like. If you do not know the characteristics of the pale toadstool and similar mushrooms, the best advice is not to pick them.
Source: Oleksandr Pashchynskyi
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