KUCHING: The Sarawak Health Department has identified several species of mushrooms that are poisonous to consume. Recent episodes of mushroom poisoning were caused by Chlorophyllum Mushrooms and Rhodophyllum Mushrooms. The most recent cases happened at Jalan Ulu Lanang, Sibu and Sungai Penyalau, Kanowit.
Investigation results from the Research and Development (R&D) Division of the Sarawak Forestry Department confirmed the poisoning that happened in Ulu Lanang was caused by Chlorophyllum mushrooms It is possible that one of the family members picked the mushrooms from a place not far from their house, which was then consumed by the whole family.
All of them showed symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhoea and stomachache. The victims were treated at the Sibu Hospital. Meanwhile, seven cases of mushroom poisoning were reported in Sungai Penyalau and it was found that the mushrooms were brought from a hawker at Kanowit Market.
The victims suffered diarrhoea, chills, nausea and vomiting. The Kanowit District Health Office made further investigation and morphological identification by the Sarawak Forestry Department confirmed that these cases were indeed caused by the consumption of Rhodophyllum mushrooms. Some other species of poisonous mushrooms are of the Amanita, Agaricus, Lepiota, Dictyophora, Boletus, Lycoperdon and Bovista species.
