Mushroom Poisoning Outbreaks - China, 2023

China CDC Wkly. 2024 Jan 26;6(4):64-68. doi: 10.46234/ccdcw2024.014.

Abstract

What is already known about this topic?: Mushroom poisoning poses a significant food safety concern in China, with a total of 196 species identified in poisoning incidents by the end of 2022.

What is added by this report?: In 2023, the China CDC conducted an investigation into 505 cases of mushroom poisoning spanning 24 provincial-level administrative divisions. This investigation resulted in 1,303 patients and 16 deaths, yielding a case fatality rate of 1.23%. A total of 97 mushrooms were identified as the cause of 6 distinct clinical disease types, with 12 species newly documented as poisonous mushrooms in China.

What are the implications for public health practice?: Close collaboration among CDC staff, physicians, and mycologists remains crucial for the control and prevention of mushroom poisoning in the future.

Keywords: poisoning control and prevention; poisonous mushroom; species diversity.

Grants and funding

Ministry of Science and Technology of the People’s Republic of China National Natural Science Foundation of China 32270021