Mushroom Poisoning Outbreaks — China, 2023
Weiwei Li, Yizhe Zhang, Hongshun Zhang, Jing Zhou, Zuohong Chen, Jiaqi Liang, Yu Yin, Qian He, Shaofeng Jiang, Yutao Zhang, Yuan Yuan, Nan Lang, Bowen Cheng, Jiaju Zhong, Zhong‐Feng Li, Chengye Sun
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.