October 23, 2026
The Ministry of Public Health issued an urgent warning prohibiting the consumption of wild mushrooms of unknown type or source, following the recording of two cases of poisoning as a result of eating mushrooms collected from nature and cooked at home, one of which required the patient to be admitted to the intensive care unit.
The Ministry confirmed in an awareness statement that the strong similarity in shape and color between some types of poisonous mushrooms and edible types makes distinguishing between them with the naked eye very difficult, even for the usual expertise in collecting mushrooms, stressing that cooking processes do not have any ability to remove the toxins inherent in them.
The Ministry warned that consuming this mushroom may lead to severe poisoning that causes serious damage to the liver and kidneys, and may lead to death in advanced cases. She indicated that symptoms may delay in appearing, ranging from hours to more than twenty-four hours, and include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, dizziness, and disturbances of consciousness.
The official authorities called on citizens to completely refrain from collecting mushrooms from forests, fields, and gardens, no matter how familiar they may seem, stressing that the safe option is to acquire them exclusively from reliable and controlled sources, and categorically warning against relying on apparent criteria such as shape, color, smell, or taste to determine their suitability for food.
At the conclusion of its statement, the Ministry of Health stressed the need to immediately go to the nearest hospital when eating any unknown wild mushroom or suspecting poisoning, regardless of the absence of symptoms, in order to avoid deterioration of the health condition and to confirm that prevention remains the most effective means of avoiding fatal complications.
