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The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health today (April 29) 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 Kam Shan Country Park yesterday (April 28).
Investigations by the CHP revealed that a 54-year-old man and a 9-year-old girl developed abdominal pain, difficulty in urination, blurred vision, palpitation and cold sweating two hours after eating the wild mushrooms at home last night. The duo were admitted to Yan Chai 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/Sunday, April 29, 2012
Issued at HKT 18:51
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