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The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health today (April 28) urged the public not to collect and eat wild mushrooms from parks or the countryside.
The call followed a report of suspected food poisoning involving two family members who had eaten wild mushrooms picked from Mount Parker Road in Quarry Bay yesterday (April 27).
Investigations by the CHP revealed that a 65-year-old man and a 65-year-old woman developed nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhoea, generalised weakness, dizziness, headache and cold sweating an hour after eating the wild mushrooms at home last night. The duo attended the Accident and Emergency Department of Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital on the same day. They are now in stable condition.
A CHP spokesman advised people not to pick wild mushrooms for consumption as it was difficult to distinguish edible mushroom species from inedible ones.
"Mushroom toxin poisonings are generally acute. The main treatment for this kind of poisoning is only supportive treatment," the spokesman said.
Ends/Saturday, April 28, 2012
Issued at HKT 12:51
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