Severe cases prompt French wild mushroom warning

French authorities have again reported hundreds of poisonings linked to wild mushroom consumption.

The French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety (ANSES) said more than 400 cases had been recorded since July. Figures from the Directorate General of Health (DGS) put the number of people affected at 1,179 since the beginning of July. This includes 32 serious cases of mushroom poisoning.

Autumn marks the beginning of the mushroom season and their picking. Many mushroom poisonings are reported yearly to poison control centers (CAP).

Of the 32 severe cases, 20 had phalloid syndrome, which starts with digestive symptoms occurring on average 10 to 12 hours after the consumption of mushrooms. It can lead to fatal liver damage if there is no treatment. Two people required a liver transplant, and a third person died.

There are several reasons for poisonings, including confusion of an edible species with a toxic variety or consumption of edible mushrooms in a bad condition that were poorly preserved or insufficiently cooked.

Authorities said if there is any doubt, mushrooms should be identified by a specialist before consumption. Photographing what you picked before cooking allows the poison control center to identify the mushroom.

Advice and 2023 findings
Use a wicker basket or cardboard box to store your mushrooms. Never use plastic bags, as they accelerate rotting. Other advice includes handwashing, storing mushrooms in the fridge and consuming them within two days of picking, and not eating too many at once.

ANSES recommends only collecting safe mushrooms, as some highly toxic species are similar to edible species. Poisonous types can also grow where edible varieties have been picked in the past. Do not pick mushrooms near potentially polluted sites such as roadsides and landfills.

In 2023, more than 1,400 mushroom poisonings were reported to poison control centers between July and December. They occurred mainly in November, while October is usually the month with the most cases. Cases were aged between 21 months and 95 years old.

Symptoms were mainly digestive: abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. While most poisonings were mild, 23 were severe, but there were no deaths.

It is not recommended to serve picked wild mushrooms to infants, but 59 children under the age of 10 were sickened. In 55 meals, collected mushrooms were eaten raw, which is also strongly discouraged.

From all poisonings, 13 people had used recognition applications on smartphones, and 32 had searched on the internet. This is not advised because of the high risk of error.

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