By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, May 7: Six people have died in East Jaintia Hills district since January this year by consuming poisonous wild mushrooms, as per the official record by the health department.
So far, 15 people have fallen sick after unknowingly consuming toxic mushrooms that grow in forests — often mistaken for edible ones. The deaths have raised serious concerns about the dangers of foraging without proper knowledge, especially in rural areas.
“These mushrooms look just like the ones people normally eat, which makes it hard to tell them apart,” said a statement from the District Medical & Health Office (DM&HO). “Both adults and children have been affected.”
Most cases happen between April and October, during the rainy season, when mushrooms grow rapidly in moist forested areas.
The DH&MO also has issued a warning, saying symptoms usually start with stomach pain, vomiting, and diarrhea. In severe cases, people can experience hallucinations, coma, liver damage — and even death.
The DM&HO has advised the public to avoid mushrooms that smell strange or feel like they’re burning when touched, turn green or purple when cut, and have cap scales (raised patches on the mushroom top).
Edible mushrooms, on the other hand, often contain worms and don’t have scales, officials said.