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Fungi alert in Uruguay: a dead and a family intoxicated to consume “the death hat”

Amanita Phalloides (Pixabay)

He Ministry of Public (MSP) warned about the risks that are associated with Wild fungus collectionits preparation and consumption. This is because, as explained by the portfolio, in some cases the species are toxic and can cause “serious health effects”, and even .

The warning of MSP It occurred in a context in which there was a deadly victim for the intake of this that is present in several parks of Uruguay. The case of Amanita phalloides, which is also known as “Death hat”it is one of the most toxic and lethal fungi in Uruguay.

In the department of Coloniaa man was Mortal victim of this wild fungus. The victim had 43 years. He had collected the fungus under an oak, which confused with the groceries. At 12 noon, she began with digestive symptoms, said the departmental director of Health, Silvia Berardo.

They warn in Uruguay for the “death hat” (AP Photo/Matilde Campodonico)

“This fungus can cause a severe liver failurewhich was what happened in the case of it. Caused its transfer to the Military Hospital [de Montevideo] For a probable liver transplant, ”added the . On May 2, the man died after an hepatic failure.

A Maldonado (Uruguay) began to feel bad after having eaten fungi. An 11 -year -old who ingested that food was admitted to a serious condition and finally transferred to a health center in Buenos Aires, where the medical team evaluates to make a liver transplanthe reported The observer.

The minor ate a chicken dish that was spiced with fungi, which caused it to be in serious condition in a Sanatorium in Maldonado. Two other family members, who had also consumed that food, were hospitalized, although they were less serious.

MSP asks to avoid collecting toxic fungi to the population (Shuttersock)

The Uruguay Public Health Minister Cristina LusternggHe confirmed that the child was taken in an air transfer to the hospital in Buenos Aires. “We are in communication with the liver transplant team of our country of the National Resources Fund,” said the official.

The of the National Hepatic Transplant Program, Solange Gerona, told Channel 12 that the three cases are “gravity” and there is a risk of death. “Some of them, as happened to the previous patient, can trigger a fulminating failure. Suddenly, then they do not access a liver to transplant and die in days.”

What is the effect of these fungi on the body? The doctor explained it: “They stick to the liver cells and inhibits the generation of new proteins so that this cell is kept alive. Where that toxic stuck, that cell dies and cannot regenerate. The toxic circulates continuously between the liver and the intestine. So after you eat it, it continues to circulate. ”

The Minister of Public Health, Cristina Lustemberg, and the vice president of Uruguay, Carolina Cosse (Uruguay Presidency)

About eight hours after ingesting the fungus, digestive discomfort begins and eight hours get worse.

The medical recommendation is clear: “If you don’t know, don’t collect.”

The MSP expresses in the statement that the “conducive ” arrived for the growth of fungi, but recalls that not all are edible. “Some toxic species may resemble safe varieties, which hinders their identification without specialized knowledge,” he warns in the statement.

Uruguayan health authorities also express that the consumption of toxic fungi can cause severe digestive symptoms, liver damage, neurological and, in extreme cases, death.

The MSP recommends that wild fungi are not collected or consumed without expert supervision. And, before symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, confusion or hallucinations after eating fungi, suggests going immediately to the nearest health center.

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