The Hindu : National : Poisonous mushroom claims 20 lives

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Poisonous mushroom claims 20 lives

Guwahati: Consumption of the poisonous ‘Amanita Phalloidas’ variety of mushroom caused the death of 20 people in Assam during the past one week, according to an inquiry by the Assam Agricultural University.

Official sources said here on Tuesday that the report submitted by the university said this variety, locally called ‘death cap,’ grows naturally in a forest area of Khumtai in Golaghat and the affected people had consumed it.

With the onset of rains, this variety of mushroom grows profusely in forests along with some edible ones.

The symptoms of poisoning generally appear 6-24 hours after consumption and starts with vomiting followed by diarrhoea. If the victim survives the first attack of diarrhoea and vomiting, there is remission of symptoms for a day or two but after two to three days, the patient succumbs due to liver and kidney failure, the report said. — PTI

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