Deadly Delight: Health Officials Warn of Fatal Poisonous Mushrooms After Rainfall

Public urged to exercise extreme caution when foraging wild fungi, with advice on identifying edible and toxic varieties to avoid potentially lethal consequences

 

Health authorities in Thailand have issued a stark warning to the public about the dangers of consuming wild mushrooms that sprout after recent rainfall. 

 

These naturally occurring fungi can include deadly poisonous varieties, and officials are urging extreme caution, providing guidance on how to distinguish safe and toxic types to prevent potentially fatal incidents.

 

The recent onset of the rainy season in many regions has led to a proliferation of wild mushrooms, encompassing both edible and poisonous species.

 

Experts highlight the particular risk posed by mushrooms in their early bud stage, where their similar appearance can make them indistinguishable to the untrained eye. 

 

This resemblance can lead to the accidental consumption of poisonous mushrooms in meals, resulting in severe illness and even death.

 

Dr Panumas Yanawetsakul, director-general of the Department of Disease Control, identified the most common poisonous mushrooms responsible for illness and fatalities:

 

The Death Cap (Amanita phalloides): Known locally by various names including toxic young russula and death egg mushroom, this deadly fungus closely resembles edible white russulas or egg mushrooms. Key differences in the edible varieties include short, comb-like markings on the cap's edge and a hollow stem when cut open.
  

Death caps are prevalent from June to July, typically found in dipterocarp and mixed deciduous forests, or more open woodlands with sunlight reaching the forest floor, particularly where trees of the Dipterocarpaceae family (like Dipterocarpus alatus and Hopea odorata) are present. 

 

Alarmingly, symptoms often don't manifest for 4-6 hours after ingestion, necessitating immediate medical attention even if initial symptoms appear to improve. The toxins can cause irreversible liver damage and death, even from consuming a single mushroom.

 

The Bleeding Milk-cap (Lactarius haemorrhagius): Characterised by a large, thick cap with a slightly black underside, this mushroom's white flesh turns reddish-brown or red when the stem is broken, hence its local name, "bleeding charcoal mushroom."

 

Similar in appearance to other charcoal mushrooms, it typically grows in July beneath Dipterocarpus obtusifolius and Lagerstroemia floribunda trees.

 

Consumption can lead to digestive irritation within two hours, followed by muscle pain and rhabdomyolysis after six hours, potentially culminating in liver and kidney failure and death.

 

Symptoms of Mushroom Poisoning: Range from mild effects such as dizziness, vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhoea to severe complications including kidney failure, liver failure, and death.
  

First Aid Advice: If activated charcoal powder is available, it should be taken immediately to help absorb toxins, along with sips of water to replace lost fluids.

 

Crucially, individuals should seek immediate medical attention at the nearest healthcare facility, providing details of the mushroom consumption and bringing any remaining mushrooms or photographs of them.

 

Inducing vomiting through methods like gagging or consuming raw egg whites is discouraged due to the risk of aspiration, infection, throat and mouth injuries, low blood pressure, or electrolyte imbalances from excessive vomiting, as mushroom toxins often already cause vomiting.

 

The public is strongly advised to avoid collecting and eating wild mushrooms or any naturally occurring mushrooms that are not positively identified as safe.

 

Mushrooms should not be gathered from areas where chemicals have been used, as they can absorb these toxins.

 

Eating raw mushrooms, such as Hygrocybe miniata, or consuming any wild mushrooms with alcoholic beverages, including Lampteromyces japonicus, ink cap mushrooms, or Astraeus hygrometricus, can also trigger poisoning.

 

The fundamental principle to remember is that the toxins in all poisonous mushrooms cannot be eliminated by cooking, and if you don't recognise it, if you're unsure, don't pick it, don't eat it.

(2025/04/08-00:00)