Family of five admitted after eating suspected poisonous mushrooms
One of the poisonous mushrooms. PHOTO/COURTESY
What you need to know:
- Family members said ‘‘it was by God’s grace that these children started to respond to treatment since the situation had worsened.’’
Residents in Bunyoro A, village, Jami parish, Kamonkoli sub-county in the eastern Uganda district of Budaka were totally shocked when five members from a single family were rushed to a nearby health facility under critical condition after they reportedly ate suspected poisonous mushrooms that had sprouted after heavy rains.
Mr James Wambi, one of the brothers told Daily Monitor that children picked the mushrooms as the family returned from a garden.
‘‘On their way back home, the father and the children each took different directions. That’s how but the children landed on these wild mushrooms which they picked and brought home,’’ he said.
He added: “The children prepared the mushrooms and ate with millet bread but after a few minutes the entire family started to develop severe stomach complications, diarrhoea and vomiting. This prompted the well-wishers to rush them to a nearby health facility for urgent medical attention.”
Family members said ‘‘it was by God’s grace that these children started to respond to treatment since the situation had worsened.’’
The other victims of the suspected poisoning are Ms Rose Mugala [Mother], Pius Nambale, Wilson Wambi, Stephen Nanghosa, and Mr Stephen Nanghosa [Father], all residents of Bunyoro A village.
Mr Nanghosa said ‘‘the lunch meal prepared by the children turned out to be poisonous but the situation is normalizing.’’
Authorities are now warning people not to risk their lives by eating mushroom species randomly picked in the bush especially now that rains are enhancing growth.
“This was a big mistake for parents to allow children to prepare unknown species of mushrooms. People should be more careful with whatever they pick from the bush,” Mr Moses Zange said.
Daily Monitor visited the health facility located within Kamonkoli Town Council Trading centre and found that the five single-family members were waiting to be discharged.
A nurse at the facility said: ‘‘They are out of danger compared to when they were brought for treatment and the extent of damage depended on the levels of consumption by each of the affected. Children ate most.’’
