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Daily confusion expert warns of deadly fungal poisoning
Due to the weather, Germany's forests could become a paradise for mushroom pickers this year. Many Germans love to wander through nature in the late summer and bring delicious mushrooms home. However, there are also many types that can damage your health. Experts warn against partially life-threatening mushroom poisoning.
Mushrooms thrive magnificently
The heavy rain in recent weeks has spoiled the summer for many, mushroom friends may now be happy. The grubby weather has already ensured in July that there has been a growth spurt in mushrooms. However, those who go on meadows and in forests in search of delicious edible mushrooms, should be well versed. Because confusion always lead to mushroom poisoning. Partly with fatal outcome.
Many Germans love to gather mushrooms in late summer on meadows and in forests. Due to confusion, it comes again and again to mushroom poisoning. Sometimes with a fatal outcome. (Image: Vladimir Sazonov / fotolia.com) Number of poisoning cases has doubled
Just a few days ago, several children with severe fungus poisoning had been admitted to a clinic in Hanover.
Elsewhere too, there have been many dangerous confusions. For example, the experts from the North Poison Information Center of the states of Bremen, Hamburg, Lower Saxony and Schleswig-Holstein (GIZ North) report that there were twice as many poisoning cases in July 2017 as in the previous years.
The risk of poisoning by self-collected mushrooms should not be underestimated.
Mix poisonous with edible mushrooms
According to the GIZ North, the main part of these poisonings are divided into two groups: There are, on the one hand, small children who discover poisonous mushrooms while playing and eat them raw. On the other hand, there are adults who confuse poisonous with edible mushrooms.
This confusion often occurs among refugees and people with a migrant background, such as Eastern Europeans, who know other edible mushrooms in their homeland and confuse them with the visually similar but highly poisonous mushrooms growing in Germany.
One of these dangerous toadstools, which has been repeatedly confused by refugees and migrants with an edible native mushroom in recent years, and even in the mushroom season of 2017, is the tuber-tree mushroom.
Symptoms do not occur immediately after consumption
"The treachery of the highly poisonous tuberous mushrooms is in addition to the similarity to edible mushrooms the latency," explains Professor. Andreas Schaper, one of the two directors of GIZ North.
"The symptoms of poisoning do not occur immediately after consumption, but only after a latency of six to a maximum of 24 hours. The classic is that in the evening toadstools are eaten and only the next morning you get nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. "
How dangerous such confusions can be is also shown by a case from Münster. A 16-year-old refugee from Syria died there last fall because he had inadvertently consumed tuberous mushrooms.
The main cause of poisoning is amatoxin, a poisonous protein found in some fungi. This can be made ineffective neither by cooking nor by drying.
Findings may show an expert
"It is important not to take any risks," warns Bavaria's Health Minister Melanie Huml. "That means: steer clear of mushrooms, which one does not know exactly! Because poisonous or rotten fungi can be life threatening! "
Experts generally advise against "collecting by book, app or the Internet". Even with the slightest doubt, the find should be shown to someone who knows it.
Such professionals can be found, inter alia, on the Internet. For example, the German Society for Mycology (DGfM) has published a list of experts on its homepage in Berlin, most of which work free of charge or for a small fee.
In case of suspected mushroom poisoning immediately to the doctor
"If you suspect a fungal poisoning, you should immediately contact the nearest hospital or call the ambulance," advises Professor. Michael P. Manns, CEO of the German Liver Foundation.
"Under no circumstances should you try to treat the symptoms yourself with medications or home remedies. That could make poisoning even worse, "says Huml.
"An early diagnosis of the poisoning and an immediate start of treatment are extremely important for the healing prospects," explains Professor. Manns.
To make the diagnosis easier, the remains of the fungus and the vomit should be picked up and passed on to the doctor. (Ad)