Objective:
Poisoning is mostly the consequence of confusion with other edible mushroom species but, in some cases also, of poisonous species collection by people who are totally unaware of the existence of toxic mushrooms therefore not asking for specialized advice before consuming them. Several tools to reduce the number of poisoning by prevention are presented in this factsheet :
- Prevention tools deployed by ANSES (National Agency for Health Security)
- Mobile applications for mushroom recognition
Context:
In France, since 2010, poisoning by mushrooms is nationally monitored from July to December, due to its seasonality, temperature and humidity conditioning the growth of mushrooms. The National Agency for Health Security (ANSES) has been in charge of this monitoring since 2016. In 2017, 1,386 cases of intoxication were recorded during the surveillance period. In particular, the year 2017 was marked by a high number of serious cases: 41 cases of severe severity including 3 deaths, while about twenty cases are expected on average per year. Mushroom poisoning is therefore a significant health problem in France.
Further information:
ANSES graphics : https://www.anses.fr/fr/system/files/InfographieChampignons.pdf