Irbid, Jan. 14 (Petra) - Princess Raya Public Hospital in the town of Deir Abi Saeed in Koura District received a number of citizens seeking treatment after consuming wild mushrooms that were found to be poisonous.

Hospital director Dr. Mohammad Abu Halawa told the Jordan News Agency (Petra) that the Ministry of Health has published health information on wild mushroom poisoning, explaining that the cases treated at the hospital resulted from eating toxic varieties of wild mushrooms that grow in forests, fields and gardens.

He said there are about 100 types of poisonous mushrooms among thousands of non-toxic ones, noting that citizens often search for wild mushrooms after weather depressions, but most are unable to distinguish between poisonous and non-poisonous types.

Abu Halawa explained that mushroom toxicity cannot be eliminated by cooking, boiling, freezing or any other method, adding that the incubation period between eating poisonous mushrooms and the onset of symptoms is usually short and depends mainly on the type of toxin present and the amount consumed.

He said symptoms appear more quickly and more severely in children and the elderly, ranging from mild gastrointestinal symptoms to organ failure and potentially death. Symptoms include nausea, vomiting, headache, dizziness, loss of consciousness, abdominal pain, diarrhea, visual disturbances, convulsions, itching and dry mouth.

Abu Halawa stressed the importance of purchasing mushrooms from reliable sources and avoiding wild mushrooms, as it is not possible to distinguish poisonous from non-poisonous types by taste, shape, color or size.

For his part, Director of the Koura District Agriculture Directorate Salem Khasawneh said the directorate routinely warns citizens of the dangers of collecting or consuming wild mushrooms that appear after rainfall due to the health risks they pose. He noted that many poisonous mushroom species closely resemble edible ones and cannot be distinguished by experience or outward appearance.

Khasawneh urged the public to completely refrain from consuming wild mushrooms unless they are laboratory-tested by the competent authorities and confirmed to be non-toxic, warning that poisonous types can cause liver and kidney failure and may lead to death, especially among children, the elderly and the sick. He added that popular beliefs that cooking, tasting, color changes or the presence of insects indicate edibility are not scientifically valid.

He emphasized that food safety is a shared responsibility and that prevention begins with avoiding wild mushrooms of unknown origin and limiting consumption to cultivated mushrooms of known sources. He called on citizens to seek immediate medical attention at the nearest health center or hospital if wild mushroom consumption is suspected or symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, or dizziness appear, and not to rely on home remedies.

//Petra// AF

14/01/2026 21:29:25