The death toll from eating poisonous wild mushrooms in several western provinces has risen to 9, a medical official announced, saying more than 700 others have been poisoned, some of whom are in immediate need of liver transplant.
“The latest statistics show that 721 people have been poisoned by the mushrooms. Nine have died, 190 are hospitalized and 523 were treated and sent home,” Mojtaba Khaledi, an emergency services spokesman, told ISNA on Saturday.
The Ministry of Health attributed the incident to spring rain across the mountainous regions and issued a warning advising people to “avoid eating wild and unfamiliar mushrooms,” and refrain from even touching them because “skin toxicity is present in some species of fungi.”
Authorities advised the public not to buy mushrooms from street vendors. Those who experience abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, or severe dizziness are advised to drink a lot of fluids and visit a health center immediately.
