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The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health today (May 28) urged the public not to collect and eat wild mushrooms from parks or the countryside. The call followed two reports of suspected food poisoning involving three persons.
The first case involves a 63-year-old woman who had eaten wild mushrooms picked from roadside in Yuen Long. Initial investigations by the CHP revealed that the patient developed gastrointestinal symptoms including abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea about three hours after consuming the mushrooms at home yesterday morning (May 27). She was admitted to Tuen Mun Hospital yesterday and discharged today. She is in stable condition.
The second case involves a 56-year-old woman and a 51-year-old man who had eaten wild mushrooms picked from a flowerbed near their residence and from roadside in Yuen Long on May 26. Initial investigations by the CHP revealed that they developed gastrointestinal symptoms including abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea about three hours after having lunch at home yesterday. The male patient attended the Accident and Emergency Department of Tuen Mun Hospital yesterday and was admitted on the same day while the female patient did not seek medical attention. They are in stable condition.
Investigation is ongoing.
A CHP spokesman advised people not to pick wild mushrooms for consumption as it is difficult to distinguish edible mushroom species from inedible ones.
Ends/Thursday, May 28, 2015
Issued at HKT 22:03
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