Mushrooms Poison Seven, Killing One, in Attapeu

0
4051
Termite mushrooms(photo: Pha Khao Lao).

Seven members of the same family were poisoned with mushrooms they ate for dinner in Sanamxay district, Attapeu Province, yesterday evening.Some images of the family members were posted on social media, revealing that the seven had been treated for mushroom poisoning.

Another member of the family explained after the incident that the termite mushrooms were bought from the market and later prepared for dinner.

One of the family members died as a result of the poison in the mushrooms, while six others were admitted to the hospital.

According to Edible and Medicinal Wild Mushrooms in Lao PDR, termite mushrooms (Termitomyces spp.) are a group of edible fungi that grow from the mounds of certain termite species.

The mushroom breaks down the cellulose of the incompletely digested, comb-like plant material, then produces nodules which are then eaten by the termites.