Eleven people from Peach Bottom Township in Pennsylvania Dutch Country were hospitalized after consuming wild mushrooms that were toxic. The patients included a man, a woman, and nine children who were treated and released from the hospital. The family had foraged the mushrooms and ate them on Friday night, leading to their illness.
A family member had to walk a half-mile to find a public phone to call 911 since the Amish community generally does not use cellphones or other modern technology. Emergency medical personnel arrived after 9:30 p.m. and transported all 11 patients to the hospital. The situation was classified as a “mass casualty incident” due to the number of people affected.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns against consuming wild mushrooms unless one is a trained expert known as a mycologist. Most mushroom poisonings and deaths in the U.S. are caused by Amanita phalloides, also known as “death caps.” Symptoms of consuming these toxic mushrooms include abdominal discomfort, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, dehydration, and liver damage, and can potentially be fatal.
Foraging for wild mushrooms is a risky activity and should only be done by those with proper knowledge and expertise. Consuming unknown mushrooms can have serious health consequences, as evidenced by the recent incident in Pennsylvania Dutch Country.
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