17 patients in one night Deadly danger from toadstools

Doctors warn of dangerous tuber fungus / refugees and Ayslsuchende particularly affected: Alone 17 poisonings in one night
The mushroom season has begun. This increases the risk of fungal poisoning. Especially refugees do not know the local mushrooms yet. For example, 17 cases of severe fungal poisoning were reported last night alone. Patients had eaten the potentially deadly tuber-fungus.

Doctors of the Hannover Medical School (MHH) sound the alarm: Last night alone, there were 17 cases in the MHH or the hospital were reported, in which refugees and asylum seekers had poisoned the tuber fungus. In the past few days there are more than 30 people who have suffered from fungus poisoning. The patients with the most severe symptoms were diagnosed at the Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Endocrinology of Professor Dr. med. Michael Manns treated, others were transferred to other hospitals.

The perilous tuberous mushroom: Alone 17 cases in one night. Picture: Schlegelfotos - fotolia

"Most of the patients are refugees from Syria, there seems to be an edible fungus that resembles the tuberous toadstool," says senior physician Dr. med. Andrea Schneider. In order to warn refugees and asylum seekers of the danger, the MHH has drafted a poster through its Refugee Aid Network and has translated it into several languages ​​to be distributed to the refugee shelters and posted there.

The Knollenblätterpilz (Amanita spec.) Is one of the most toxic mushrooms in Germany and responsible for 90 percent of all deadly fungal poisoning. The fungus is very dangerous, as its poison acts only several hours after consumption and is then absorbed throughout the body. First symptoms include nausea, vomiting and diarrhea - similar to a gastrointestinal infection, after one to two days it comes to damage the liver, which may be accompanied by blood clotting and kidney dysfunction. In the worst case, the liver stops functioning so that only a liver transplant can save the patient's life.

Therefore, Professor Dr. Manns basically all mushroom pickers to have the mushrooms found before consumption by a fungus expert. "If there is a suspicion of fungal poisoning, the emergency doctor should urgently be called. To ease the diagnosis, the remains of the fungus and the vomit should be reversed, "explains Professor. Manns.

The tuberous toadstool grows in deciduous and deciduous forests between August and October. He can be recognized by a three to 15 centimeters wide hat, which is spread bell-like to umbrella-like. At the bottom there are white slats. The color of the toadstool is green, green-yellow or white. (Pm)