Helsinki hospital reports that mushroom poisoning victims are recovering

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All three mushroom poisoning patients who are being treated at the Surgical Hospital in Helsinki will make a complete recovery, confirms Adjuct Professor Heikki Mäkisalo, a specialist doctor in the Helsinki University Hospital.
      ”Two of them have already been transferred elsewhere from the Surgical Hospital, but one is still being treated here”, Mäkisalo adds.
      The three patients were hospitalised after having eaten highly toxic white Amanitas, also known as ”destroying angels” (Amanita virosa), more than a week ago. They have been treated at the Surgical Hospital for several days.
     
Mäkisalo reports that the total number of patients with serious mushroom poisoning symptooms is eight.
      In addition to the patients treated in Helsinki’s Surgical Hospital, three other poisoning patients have been treated in the Kanta-Häme Central Hospital.
      One of them, an elderly woman, died from the toxins ingested. She had eaten white Amanitas, even though she was regarded as an experienced mushroom picker.
      In addition, another two patients have been treated in some other hospital, the name of which Mäkisalo did not divulge. Allegations about even some further poisoning cases have been published in the media.
     
According to Mäkisalo, at least seven of the poisoning cases have nothing to do with the photograph of the white Amanita that was mistakenly published with a misleading caption in the paper version of Helsingin Sanomat in late August.
      In fact, five poisonings had occurred already before the wrong picture was printed in the paper.
      Moreover, in two poisoning cases that occurred after the publishing of the photograph, the patients and their families reported to Mäkisalo that they had not read the article in question.
     
Mäkisalo does not believe that mushroom poisoning cases could be becoming more common, even though a large number of such incidents has occurred lately.
      ”The white Amanita has just been available in large quantities”, he notes.
      On the other hand, if immigrants come to Finland from countries where mushroom picking is popular, the number of poisoning cases could increase unless these people are given enough information, Mäkisalo argues.
      ”Each country has its own toxic mushrooms and edible mushrooms”, he adds.
      Most of the recent mushroom poisoning victims are immigrants of foreign origin.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Elderly woman dies of Amanita mushroom poisoning (2.9.2009)
  Poor immigrants are at risk from mushroom poisoning (28.8.2009)
  Three previous liver transplants made in Finland as a result of mushroom poisoning (27.8.2009)
  Four people hospitalised after eating toxic mushrooms (26.8.2009)

Helsingin Sanomat