In around 10 provinces in the west of Iran, at least 11 people have died and more than 800 people have been have been hospitalized after eating poisonous wild mushrooms. It is unclear what kind of mushroom those affected had eaten.
Report Says, There is no effective treatment for this kind of poisoning. At least two people have received liver transplants. The mushrooms concerned look similar to edible ones.
The deadly fungi grow wild in mountainous regions of Iran’s west after spring showers. Reports suggest that unprecedented abundant rainfall over the past month has led to more mushrooms growing than usual.
Mushroom poisoning on such a large scale is rare in Iran. Most of those affected were from the province of Kermanshah, on the border with Iraq, where at least seven people were reported dead and 336 admitted to hospital. The neighbouring provinces of Lurestan and Kurdistan also reported high numbers of cases.
An Iranian woman Behnaz, living in a village in Kermanshah said her mother “like previous springs, she went out and picked a lot of mushrooms. She fried some and ate them and got poisoned. We took her to hospital while she was feeling really terrible. She has since recovered and doctors are happy with her progress.”
Behnaz added: “Some of my mother’s neighbours also got poisoned and had similar symptoms. Residents of this area always use wild mushrooms but have never had any issues and it’s surprising for us”
Masoud, 31, from Kermanshah’s Firouzabad district said, eating wild mushrooms was part of the local culture. “It is really strange. People in our area eat a great deal of wild mushrooms around this time of the year. They usually like [them] grilled.”
Authorities are to warn citizens against buying mushrooms sold in loose packaging, and from picking wild mushrooms, even if they resemble edible species. People have been urged to purchase only those are packed and sealed in shops. Eating poisonous mushrooms can result in a range of symptoms from a bad headache to gastrointestinal problems and death.
> Juthy Saha
