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CHP investigates suspected food poisoning case related to wild mushrooms
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     The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health is today (March 8) investigating a suspected case of food poisoning related to the consumption of wild mushrooms, and urged the public not to collect and eat wild mushrooms from parks or the countryside.
 
     The male patient, aged 57 with underlying illness, developed symptoms including epigastric pain, vomiting and diarrhoea about 19 hours after consuming mushrooms at home on March 6. He attended the Accident and Emergency Department (AED) of Alice Ho Miu Ling Nethersole Hospital yesterday (March 7) and was admitted today. The patient was found to have deranged liver function and is now in stable condition.
 
     Initial investigations revealed that the patient had consumed wild mushrooms picked from the countryside at Sha Lo Tung in Tai Po on March 6. The CHP's investigation is ongoing.
 
     "Members of the public should not pick wild mushrooms for consumption as it is difficult to distinguish edible mushroom species from inedible ones," a spokesman for the CHP said.
 
     "Mushroom poisoning is generally acute. Common presentations include gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain appearing shortly after ingestion. Depending on the mushroom species, patients may also have other symptoms like profuse sweating, hallucination, coma or other neurological symptoms, as well as liver failure. Death may result in severe cases," he added.
 
     "If mushroom poisoning is suspected, the patient should seek immediate medical attention and bring along any available remnant for identification," the spokesman said.
 
Ends/Thursday, March 8, 2018
Issued at HKT 18:35
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