Last week, eleven people in Peach Bottom Township, Pennsylvania were hospitalized after consuming wild and toxic mushrooms. The patients included a man, a woman, and nine children who were treated and released from the hospital. The incident occurred after family members foraged for mushrooms and consumed them on Friday night. A family member had to walk a half-mile to find a public phone to call 911, as the Amish community generally does not use cellphones. Emergency personnel arrived after 9:30 p.m. and transported all 11 patients to the hospital. The situation was considered a “mass casualty incident” due to the number of people affected. The CDC warns that individuals who are not trained experts should not eat wild mushrooms, as they can be poisonous and potentially lethal. A report by the CDC highlighted Amanita phalloides mushrooms, also known as “death caps,” as a common cause of mushroom poisonings and deaths in the U.S. Consuming these mushrooms can lead to symptoms such as abdominal discomfort, nausea, vomiting, dehydration, and liver damage, and in severe cases, death. The incident serves as a reminder of the dangers of consuming wild mushrooms without proper knowledge and expertise.
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11 people in Pennsylvania hospitalized after consuming wild mushrooms
