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In recent years, an efficient mushroom poisoning control and prevention working system involving governments, clinical doctors, CDC experts, and mycologists has been established in China (1-2). Based on the technical support network, mushroom poisoning information was systematically collected by WeChat, telephone calls, and E-mails. Mushroom samples were collected by CDC staff or hospital professionals. Species identification depending on morphological observations and DNA data was carried out by mycologists from China CDC, universities, and research institutes nationwide. Related clinical symptoms data were summarized from the hospital records (1-2). In 2021, 327 independent mushroom poisoning incidents from 25 provincial-level administrative divisions (PLADs) involving 923 patients and 20 deaths were investigated. About 74 poisonous mushrooms resulting in 6 different clinical syndromes were successfully identified. Among the 74 species, 15 species were newly recorded in China. Hygrocybe rimosa, Inosperma muscarium, and Pseudosperma arenarium nom. prov. were three new species discovered in China. Mallocybe fulvoumbonata, Psilocybe ovoideocystidiata, and P. papuana were 3 records new to China, and the 9 remaining previously edibility unclear species were confirmed to be poisonous from poisoning incidents.
In 2021, a total of 327 mushroom poisoning incidents involving 923 patients and 20 deaths were investigated and the overall mortality was 2.17%. The number of cases ranged from 1 to 20, the average number of cases per incident was 2, and 6 incidents involved more than 10 patients. Of these cases, 68 patients from 14 incidents ate poisonous mushrooms purchased from a market or given by friends; 46 patients from 10 incidents were poisoned after eating dried mushrooms and 113 patients from 28 incidents ate mixed mushrooms.
Monthly distribution analysis showed that mushroom poisonings occurred every month, centered from May to November involving 294 incidents, 796 patients, and 18 deaths, and reached its peak in August (Figure 1). The first death appeared in early March from Guangdong. The top 3 months for deaths caused by poisonous mushrooms were September, July, and November with 7, 5, and 4 deaths, respectively.
In terms of geographical distribution, mushroom poisoning incidents were reported in 25 PLADs. Overall, 10 PLADs had over 10 incidents, and Hunan, Yunnan, Sichuan, Fujian, and Guizhou were the top 5 PLADs; 12 PLADs had over 20 patients and Yunnan, Hunan and Sichuan were the top 3 PLADs. Yunnan, Guizhou, and Guangdong had 4 deaths, Sichuan and Shanxi had 2 deaths, followed by Hunan, Guangxi, Beijing, and Xizang (Tibet) with 1 death each, and the remaining 16 PLADs had no deaths. Southwest China [Yunnan, Sichuan, Guizhou, Chongqing, and Xizang (Tibet)] was the most severely affected region with 138 incidents, 426 patients, and 11 deaths. Detailed information for each PLAD was shown in Table 1.
Location Number of incidents Number of patients Deaths Case fatality
rate (%)Hunan 64 159 1 0.63 Yunnan 59 200 4 2.00 Sichuan 34 98 2 2.04 Fujian 32 82 0 0 Guizhou 26 69 4 5.80 Zhejiang 21 50 0 0 Chongqing 17 53 0 0 Guangdong 16 33 4 12.12 Ningxia 13 26 0 0 Guangxi 12 42 1 2.38 Jiangsu 4 24 0 0 Hainan 4 11 0 0 Jiangxi 4 4 0 0 Shandong 3 20 0 0 Hubei 3 7 0 0 Beijing 2 14 1 7.14 Anhui 2 7 0 0 Shaanxi 2 4 0 0 Hebei 2 3 0 0 Xizang 2 2 1 50.00 Inner Mongolia 1 5 0 0 Xinjiang 1 4 0 0 Shanxi 1 3 2 66.67 Tianjin 1 2 0 0 Jilin 1 1 0 0 Total 327 923 20 2.17 Table 1. Geographical distribution of mushroom poisoning incidents in China, 2021.
In 2021, 74 species of poisonous mushrooms caused 6 different clinical syndromes; acute liver failure, acute renal failure, rhabdomyolysis, hemolysis, gastroenteritis, and psycho-neurological disorder were successfully identified (Supplementary Table S1). A total of 15 species were newly recorded as poisonous mushrooms and were added to the Chinese poisonous mushroom list. Hygrocybe rimosa, which causes gastroenteritis, Inosperma muscarium and Pseudosperma arenarium nom. prov., which stimulated parasympathetic nervous system, were three new species discovered in China. Mallocybe fulvoumbonata, Psilocybe ovoideocystidiata, and P. papuana resulted in psycho-neurological disorders were three records new to China. Agaricus atrodiscus, Boletellus indistinctus, Lactarius purpureus, L. rubrocorrugatus, Lactifluus pseudoluteopus, Melanoleuca humilis, Ramaria gracilis, and Scleroderma aff. albidum cause gastroenteritis, and Inocybe aff. glabrodisca stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system; these species were confirmed to be poisonous from poisoning incidents.
The top three lethal mushroom species were Russula subnigricans, Galerina sulciceps, and Lepiota brunneoincarnata, which caused 6, 5, and 3 deaths, respectively. Chlorophyllum molybdites, the most widely distributed mushroom (discovered in 13 PLADs), caused the most poisonings incidents (appearing in 66 incidents affecting 123 patients) and had distinct long active period (from middle April to late December).
In 2021, 8 species (6 Amanita spp., 1 Galerina sp., and 1 Lepiota sp.) causing acute liver failure were identified in China (Supplementary Table S1). Galerina sulciceps killed 5 persons in 14 incidents involving 39 patients turned out to be the most dangerous species causing acute liver failure. Lepiota brunneoincarnata was responsible for 3 deaths in 15 incidents involving 45 patients, and this is the first report for its distribution in Yunnan Province (1-3). Amanita fuligineoides was originally described from Hunan and known from Yunnan as well (4-5). In late June, 2021, 5 people from Fujian were poisoned by this lethal species, which is indicative of a wider distribution of A. fuligineoides.
Three species causing acute renal failure were identified from mushroom poisoning incidents (Supplementary Table S1). Amanita oberwinklerana caused the most incidents. It grew in March in Guangdong, then appeared from July to August in Central and Southwest China. Amanita kotohiraensis was responsible for poisoning 2 patients on August 19.
Exposure to Russula subnigricans led to rhabdomyolysis causing 6 deaths; this species was found in 9 PLADs and appeared from May 10 to September 9. A total of 2 incidents involving 2 patients and 1 death caused by Paxillus involutus resulting in hemolysis occurred in Lasa, Xizang (Tibet).
A total of 39 species causing gastroenteritis were identified from mushroom poisoning incidents in China in 2021 (Supplementary Table S1). Among them, Agaricus atrodiscus, Boletellus indistinctus, Hygrocybe rimosa, Lactarius purpureus, L. rubrocorrugatus, Lactifluus pseudoluteopus, Melanoleuca humilis, Ramaria gracilis, and Scleroderma aff. albidum were species newly discovered as poisonous mushrooms and subsequently added to the Chinese poisonous mushroom list (1-3). Hygrocybe rimosa was a new species discovered in 2021 (6). Notably, A. atrodiscus poisoning was reported for the first time from Yunnan since it was originally described from Thailand in 2015 (7) and discovered in Hainan Province, China, in 2020 (8). The top three species in this category were C. molybdites, R. japonica and Entoloma omiense.
About 22 species causing psycho-neurological disorders were identified from mushroom poisoning incidents in China in 2021 (Supplementary Table S1). Among them, 6 species (Inocybe aff. glabrodisca, Inosperma muscarium, Pseudosperma arenarium nom. prov., Mallocybe fulvoumbonata, Psilocybe ovoideocystidiata, and P. papuana) were newly discovered as poisonous mushrooms (1-3). Inosperma muscarium and Pseudosperma arenarium were two new species. The former species was described in 2021 (9) and the latter was identified as P. cf. bulbosissimum in 2020 (2). Further study showed that P. cf. bulbosissimum was a new species. Mallocybe fulvoumbonata, P. ovoideocystidiata, and P. papuana were Chinese new records. The top five species were Amanita subglobosa, Gymnopilus dilepis, A. pseudosychnopyramis, Inosperma muscarium, and Pseudosperma arenarium.
Nine boletes (Baorangia major, B. pseudocalopus, Boletellus indistinctus, Heimioporus gaojiaocong, H. japonicus, Neoboletus venenatus, Rubroboletus sinicus, Suillus pinetorum, and Tylopilus neofelleus) causing gastroenteritis and one (Lanmaoa asiatica) causing psycho-neurological disorder were identified from poisoning incidents.
Interestingly, 2 incidents caused by polypores occurred in 2021. On February 28, 2021, one person from Guangxi had slight gastrointestinal symptoms after consumption of Cryptoporus volvatus, a recorded medicinal polypore (3). On the same date, one person from Guangdong also suffered from gastroenteritis after drinking boiled water using dried “medicinal mushrooms.” This mixture was confirmed as medicinal or edible mushrooms, Trametes hirsuta, Irpex lacteus, and Schizophyllum commune (3). Their toxicity and safe usage need to be further studied.
About 6 edible mushrooms were also identified from mushroom poisoning incidents in 2021, which could be attributed to the consumption of mixed mushrooms with poisonous mushrooms, contaminated mushrooms, or some species potentially poisonous to certain people.
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Profs. Zuohong Chen, Ping Zhang (Hunan Normal University), Prof. Zhuliang Yang, Drs. Xianghua Wang, Gang Wu, Hong Luo, Zaiwei Ge, Yanchun Li (Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences), Profs. Taihui Li, Wangqiu Deng, Drs. Ming Zhang, Chaoqun Wang (Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Scicences), Prof. Tolgor Bau (Jilin Agricultural University), Drs. Niankai Zeng, Yuguang Fan (Hainan Medical University), Prof. Junfeng Liang, Dr. Jie Song (Research Institute of Tropical Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry), Profs. Yucheng Dai, Baokai Cui, Shuanghui He, Dr. Jing Si (Beijing Forestry University), Dr. Chuanhua Li (Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences), Prof. Haisheng Yuan (Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences), Dr. Xiaolan He (Institute of Agricultural Resources and Environment, Sichuan Academy of Agricultural Science) and Profs. Ruilin Zhao, Xiaoyong Liu, Tiezheng Wei (Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences); involved CDCs and hospitals.
Clinical syndromes or mushroom species Number of incidents Number of patients Deaths Case fatality (%) Spatial and temporal distribution Acute liver failure Amanita exitialis 3 8 1 12.50 March 3, Guangdong; June 24 to 26, Yunnan Amanita exitialis and A. fuligineoides 1 4 0 0 July 2, Yunnan Amanita fuliginea and A. oberwinklerana ARF 1 5 0 0 July 5, Hunan Amanita fuligineoides 2 9 1 11.11 June 25 and July 2, Fujian, and Yunnan Amanita pallidorosea 1 2 0 0 June 19, Hunan Amanita rimosa 1 3 0 0 June 2, Hunan Amanita subjunquillea 1 2 0 0 September 17, Sichuan Amanita spp. 7 19 3 15.79 June 22 to July 26, Yunnan, Hunan, Chongqing, and Zhejiang Galerina sulciceps 14 39 5 12.82 April 16, Hunan; November 3 to 30, Sichuan, Chongqing, Hubei, Guizhou, and Hunan Galerina sp. 1 18 0 0 December 28, Sichuan Lepiota brunneoincarnata 15 45 3 6.67 July 4 to September 28, Yunnan, Hebei, Shanxi, Xinjiang, Shandong, Inner Mongolia, Ningxia, Shaanxi, Jilin, Beijing, and Tianjin Rhabdomyolysis Russula subnigricans 16 50 6 12.00 May 10 to September 9, Yunnan, Zhejiang, Hunan, Jiangsu, Fujian, Jiangxi, Guizhou, Guangdong, and Guangxi Acute renal failure Amanita kotohiraensis 1 2 0 0 August 19, Fujian Amanita oberwinklerana 6 9 0 0 mid-March, Guangdong; July 20 to August 29, Hubei, Sichuan, and Guizhou Amanita aff. pseudoporphyria 2 2 0 0 August 22 and 23, Hunan Hemolysis Paxillus involutus 2 2 1 50.00 July 31 and August 7, Xizang Gastroenteritis Agaricus atrodiscus 1 6 0 0 July 28, Yunnan Agaricus xanthodermus 1 1 0 0 April 29, Hunan Agaricus sp. 1 2 0 0 August 20, Hunan Baorangia major 1 5 0 0 May 28, Fujian Baorangia pseudocalopus 2 8 0 0 June 23, Yunnan; September 17, Hunan Boletellus indistinctus 1 6 0 0 August 3, Yunnan Chlorophyllum aff. globosum 2 8 0 0 August 30 and September 5, Sichuan Chlorophyllum hortense 2 3 0 0 August 12 to September 29, Hunan, and Guangxi Chlorophyllum molybdites 65 120 0 0 April 15 to December 27, Zhejiang, Guizhou, Hunan, Hainan, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Yunnan, Sichuan, Chongqing, Jiangsu, Hubei and Jiangxi Chlorophyllum molybdites and Cordyceps gunnii M 1 3 0 0 August 21, Guizhou Coprinellus micaceus 1 1 0 0 September 29, Beijing Coprinellus micaceus and Panaeolus bisporus P 1 3 0 0 September 20, Ningxia Coprinopsis atramentaria 1 1 0 0 April 19, Shandong Coprinus comatus 1 1 0 0 October 19, Sichuan Cryptoporus volvatus M 1 1 0 0 February 28, Guangxi Entoloma caespitosum 1 4 0 0 May 24, Fujian Entoloma omiense 7 22 0 0 June 6 to August 30, Fujian, Guangdong, Yunnan, Zhejiang, and Guizhou Entoloma aff. strictius 1 3 0 0 April 12, Hunan Entoloma aff. sinuatum 1 9 0 0 August 8, Yunnan Gymnopus densilamellatus, G. dryophilus G and
Ripartites tricholoma U1 2 0 0 August 6, Hebei Gymnopus indoctus U, Leucoagaricus sinicus U, Panaeolus papilionaceus P, Ileodictyon gracileU and Agaricus sp. U 1 4 0 0 October 14, Guangdong Heimioporus gaojiaocong 3 5 0 0 January 12, Yunnan (dried boletes bought from market); June 3 to July 20, Yunnan Heimioporus japonicus 2 9 0 0 August 26 and September 7, Fujian Hygrocybe rimosa 1 2 0 0 July 1, Guizhou Lactarius purpureus 1 1 0 0 August 29, Hunan Lactarius rubrocorrugatus 2 7 0 0 July 11 and 27, Sichuan Lactifluus pseudoluteopus 1 1 0 0 June 4, Yunnan Melanoleuca humilis 1 2 0 0 September 15, Ningxia Neoboletus brunneissimus E,M, Butyriboletus yicibus E, Catathelasma subalpinum E and Cortinarius similis U 1 3 0 0 August 16, Sichuan (dried boletes from Yunnan) Neoboletus venenatus 3 12 0 0 March 10 and July 2, Hunan and Sichuan (dried boletes, bought from market); September 19, Yunnan Omphalotus guepiniformis 1 3 0 0 May 1, Guizhou Omphalotus olearius 2 4 0 0 July 28 and October 18, Yunnan Omphalotus sp. 4 44 0 0 July 11 and October 18, Yunnan Pholiota multicingulata 1 4 0 0 September 13, Chongqing Ramaria gracilis 1 1 0 0 August 28, Yunnan Rubroboletus sinicus and Retiboletus fuscus E 1 20 0 0 January 11, Jiangsu (dried boletes bought from market) Rubroboletus sp. 1 1 0 0 August 19, Fujian Russula foetens 1 1 0 0 August 26, Fujian Russula japonica 24 70 0 0 May 25 to August 26, Guangxi, Hunan, Sichuan, Guizhou, Yunnan, Chongqing, Fujian, and Zhejiang Russula japonica and R. punctipes G 1 2 0 0 May 31, Hunan Russula leucocarpa U and Russula sp. 1 4 0 0 September 4, Fujian Russula punctipes 1 6 0 0 August 23, Hunan Scleroderma aff. albidum 2 9 0 0 March 7 and July 9, Guangxi and Sichuan Scleroderma cepa 4 7 0 0 July 5 to August 25, Yunnan; October 27 to November 15, Hunan Suillus pinetorum, Amanita javanica E, Boletus bainiugan E and Phlebopus portentosus E 1 8 0 0 April 15, Yunnan Thicholoma highlandense 1 1 0 0 November 20, Guizhou Trametes hirsuta M, Irpex lacteus M and Schizophyllum commune E,M 1 1 0 0 February 28, Guangdong (dried mushrooms from Sichuan) Tricholoma stans 1 2 0 0 November 3, Yunnan Tricholoma aff. stans 2 5 0 0 November 2 and December 1, Guizhou and Yunnan Psycho-neurological disorder Amanita ibotengutake 1 17 0 0 September 5, Shandong Amanita melleialba 1 1 0 0 August 10, Yunnan Amanita orientigemmata 1 2 0 0 August 10, Yunnan Amanita pseudopantherina 1 1 0 0 August 9, Yunnan Amanita pseudosychnopyramis 2 11 0 0 April 6 and 15, Fujian and Zhejiang Amanita orsonii and Amanita sp. U 1 3 0 0 June 29, Chongqing Amanita rufoferruginea 1 6 0 0 July 6, Sichuan Amanita subglobosa 4 13 0 0 June 29 to August 19, Sichuan and Hunan Amanita sychnopyramis f. subannulata 1 5 0 0 May 28, Guangxi Clitocybe subditopoda 1 3 0 0 October 26, Guizhou Clitocybe sp. 1 2 0 0 October 18, Hainan Gymnopilus dilepis 3 5 0 0 May 1 to July 2, Sichuan and Guizhou Inocybe aff. glabrodisca 1 4 0 0 November 26, Guizhou Inosperma muscarium 2 7 0 0 May 30 and June 5, Guangxi and Fujian Lanmaoa asiatica 1 1 0 0 July 2, Yunnan Lanmaoa asiatica, Heimioporus japonicus G and Tylopilus neofelleus G 1 4 0 0 January 27, Chongqing (dried boletes bought from market) Panaeolus bisporus 1 2 0 0 August 14, Guizhou Pseudosperma arenarium nom. prov. 2 3 0 0 September 22 and 30, Ningxia and Shaanxi Pseudosperma umbrinellum and Mallocybe fulvoumbonata P 1 2 0 0 September 21, Ningxia Psilocybe ovoideocystidiata 1 2 0 0 March 26, Guizhou Psilocybe papuana 1 2 0 0 April 30, Hunan Unclassified Cortinarius cupreorufus U 1 3 0 0 September 3, Ningxia Laccaria vinaceoavellanea E 1 2 0 0 August 1, Yunnan Leucoagaricus barssii E 1 2 0 0 September 6, Ningxia Porphyrellus nigropurpureus U 1 4 0 0 August 1, Fujian Russula densifolia E 1 2 0 0 August 13, Yunnan Scleroderma yunnanense E 1 4 0 0 July 2, Yunnan Stropharia rugosoannulata E 2 2 0 0 April 29 and May 16, Hunan and Chongqing Tricholoma myomyces E 1 2 0 0 March 16, Hunan Note: Species newly recorded as poisonous mushrooms in China are in italic bold.
Abbreviations used for mushroom poisoning incidents with more than two species: ARF=Acute renal failure, G=Gastroenteritis, P=Psycho to neurological disorder, M=Medicinal, U=Unclassified, E=Edible.Table S1. Mushroom species involved in poisoning incidents and their spatial and temporal distribution in China, 2021.
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