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The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health today (January 2) reminded people not to eat wild mushrooms picked from countryside in Hong Kong or overseas.
The call followed a report of suspected food poisoning involving a Mainland couple who reported they ate eaten wild mushrooms picked from a park in South Africa on December 27, 2007.
Investigations by the CHP revealed that the 43-year-old woman yesterday (January 1) developed abdominal pain, diarrhoea and headache while on a flight. She arrived in Hong Kong yesterday, was admitted to Princess Margaret Hospital and then transferred to Queen Mary Hospital. She subsequently died of multiple organ failure on the same day.
The case has been handed over to the coroner's court for investigation.
Her 44-year-old husband, who also had abdominal pain, diarrhoea and vomiting 13 hours after eating the wild mushrooms, attended the Accident & Emergency Department of Queen Mary Hospital yesterday and is now in stable condition.
A CHP spokesman advised people not to pick wild mushrooms for eating as it was difficult to distinguish edible mushroom species from the inedible ones.
"Mushroom toxin poisonings are generally acute. The main treatment for this kind of poisoning is only supportive treatment," the spokesman said.
Ends/Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Issued at HKT 18:54
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