Headlines

Mushroom poisoning. Since 2010, the InVS has conducted annual surveillance of mushroom poisoning cases based on data recorded by the Poison Control and Toxicovigilance Centers (CAPTV) and the OSCOUR® network. This surveillance is seasonal and runs from July 1 to December 31 of each year. Between July 1 and October 6, 2013, the French Institute for Public Health Surveillance (InVS) recorded 546 cases of mushroom poisoning, including one severe case in an 18-month-old child who required a liver transplant. Due to rainy weather conditions, these cases, recorded by the network of Poison Control and Toxicovigilance Centers (CAPTV), have risen sharply in recent weeks (25 cases from September 9 to 15, compared to 177 cases from September 30 to October 6). This peak in poisoning cases has occurred earlier than in 2012. In Limousin, since the start of seasonal monitoring (July 1, 2012), four cases of mushroom poisoning have been recorded in hospital emergency departments. These cases occurred over the past three weeks. In the majority of cases, these poisonings result from mistaking the mushrooms for other edible varieties. The health consequences of this type of poisoning can be very serious (severe digestive disorders, liver damage that may require a transplant), or even fatal.In light of these recurring and persistent cases of poisoning each year, the Directorate General for Health (DGS) and the French Institute for Public Health Surveillance (InVS) issued a press release this week to warn mushroom pickers.