An 11-person Pennsylvania family hospitalized after accidentally eating toxic mushrooms will recover, the fire department told Fox News Digital.
“One of the family members came across some wild mushrooms in the woods and took them back home for dinner,” a representative from the Delta-Cardiff Volunteer Fire Department told Fox News Digital.
Delta-Cardiff Volunteer Fire Co. serves the communities of Delta, Pennsylvania and Cardiff, Maryland.
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“The whole family ate them and got sick. All 11 family members were transported to hospital and released within 12 hours,” the representative added.
Emergency services were called after a family of 11 fell ill with fungi. The family will make a full recovery, Delta-Cardiff Volunteer Fire Department told Fox News Digital. (Delta-Cardiff Volunteer Fire Department)
The specific type of mushrooms consumed by the family was not identified.
In an Oct. 11 post on its Facebook page, the Delta-Cardiff Volunteer Fire Department called the situation a “mass casualty incident.”
“Units were informed that 11 people had swallowed toxic mushrooms and all were sick,” it said in a Facebook post.
While everyone is on the road to recovery, a department official told Fox News Digital it's a reminder to be “really careful and do the proper research” before consuming mushrooms harvested for food.
An Amish family that became ill after eating wild mushrooms (not pictured) may not have been able to confirm whether they were eating safe mushrooms, a representative from the Delta-Cardiff Volunteer Fire Department told Fox News Digital. (iStock)
“Fortunately, this incident did not prove fatal and both adults and children will make a full recovery,” the representative said
According to the National Capital Poison Center (NCPC) website, people should never eat wild mushrooms unless approved by a mushroom identification expert.
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“How to distinguish an edible wild mushroom from a poisonous one? If you don't have much experience identifying mushrooms, you can't do this,” the website reads.
It also noted that “there are many mushroom-like mushrooms” and toxic mushrooms may look like edible mushrooms.
Edible mushrooms have “similarities” that are potentially deadly, the National Capital Poison Center said. (iStock)
The NCPC says almost everyone who turns to Poison Control for help after eating a poisonous mushroom thought they were eating a safe mushroom.
According to the NCPC, wild mushrooms can cause different symptoms depending on the species consumed.
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“Many mushrooms cause vomiting and diarrhea, which can lead to dehydration and a visit to the emergency room. Others may interact with alcohol, causing serious stomach upset, headache and high blood pressure. Some may cause hallucinations and coma,” the NCPC said.
This event is a reminder that caution should be exercised before consuming mushrooms. (Delta-Cardiff Volunteer Fire Department; iStock)
The NCPC has stated that some fungi can damage the liver so severely that a liver transplant is necessary.
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“There are old mushroom hunters and there are brave mushroom hunters. There are no brave old mushroom hunters,” the NCPC said.
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Anyone who suspects they may have eaten a poisonous mushroom should contact a doctor immediately.
