The Public Health Ministry is warning the public against consuming wild mushrooms after over 600 people fell ill across Thailand.
Permanent Secretary Dr Narong Sahamethapat said a total of 649 people ingested the poisonous mushrooms, which usually grow during the rainy season. Most patients are from the Northeast and the North of Thailand.
The number of people who have fallen ill due to wild mushrooms has risen in the last four years. Last year, over 400 people became sick from eating the mushrooms and 12 people died.
Two of the most common and lethal mushrooms belong to the genus Amanita, which grows naturally in the wild in the North. The mushrooms contain amatoxins, which can cause liver and kidney failure, NNT reported.
