More cases of mushroom poisoning reported

The cases of mushroom poisoning became more often. Persons poisoned with mushrooms are hospitalized practically every day. Specialists recommend not gathering the unknown mushrooms and not buying mushrooms in unauthorized places. Andrei Ciburciu, head of the Food Safety Division of the National Public Health Center, has told Info-Prim Neo that about 50 cases of mushroom poisoning have been recorded so far this year. 40 of them occurred in October and November because many mushrooms appeared after the rain and the people hurried to pick them up. The people who got poisoned admitted that they gathered the mushrooms in the forest or the park or purchased them from people selling by the roadside. Andrei Ciburciu said the people should be more responsible so as to prevent such cases. The canning of mushrooms in domestic conditions is not recommended. The mushrooms cannot be washed well of soil and there can remain spores of the botulism bacteria. In cans, they produce toxins and cause serious poisoning. These spores cannot be destroyed even if the mushrooms are boiled for five hours. According to the doctor, the symptoms of mushroom poisoning include stomachache, vomiting, diarrhea and blurred vision. One should immediately see a doctor when such symptoms appear as the cases of mushroom poisoning can be fatal.