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Iran mushroom poisoning

More than 800 sick from deadly fungi

May 22, 2018 00:00:00


TEHRAN, May 21 (BBC): More than 800 people have been poisoned after eating toxic wild mushrooms in western Iran.

At least 11 have died from the effects of the fungi, and hundreds more have been hospitalised.

There is no effective treatment for this kind of poisoning, Iran's Tasnim News Agency reports.

Many of the victims may need liver transplants, it said, quoting an unnamed health ministry official.

People have been urged not to buy loose mushrooms and only purchase those packed and sealed in shops.

According to BBC Persian, mushrooms can sometimes be seen for sale in the street in Iran, and local folk wisdom about which are safe to eat can be unreliable.

The deadly fungi grow wild in mountainous regions of Iran's west after spring showers, according to Tasnim.

Around 10 provinces are believed to have been affected, with seven of the dead hailing from the Kermanshah area.

Iran's rolling news channel IRINN is reporting on the need to distinguish between wild and edible fungi, which can look extremely similar.


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