Six people have died due to mushroom poisoning in East Jaintia Hills district this year.
According to the District Medical & Health Officer, as of April 2025 till date, there have been 15 cases of mushroom poisoning that led to six deaths.
“These incidents primarily occur in rural communities where wild mushrooms are picked and consumed as vegetables. Both adults and children are susceptible, with the monsoon season (April-October) posing the highest risk,” the DMHO said in a statement today.
Mushroom poisoning is caused by unintended and misidentification of species. The most common reason for this misidentification is close resemblance in terms of colour and general morphology of the toxic mushrooms’ species with edible species, the office said.
The DMHO has also issued an advisory listing the expected symptoms. The advisory said poisonous mushrooms lead to upset stomach (nausea, vomiting, and cramps) and in severe cases victims feel thirsty, sweating, hallucinations, coma and liver damage.
The DMHO said people can differentiate between poisonous and edible mushrooms. Poisonous mushrooms will turn green or purple when cut whereas those edible ones do not give out any stain. A person will experience odour, a burn or sting from the poisonous fungus. Worms will be present in an edible mushroom which will not be found in the wild fungus.
The office said poisonous mushrooms can also be identified from the scales on the cap which is mostly absent in the edible ones.
Meanwhile, Ri-Bhoi police have issued an advisory cautioning residents of the district to avoid the indiscriminate consumption of wild forest mushrooms as they may be poisonous.
Year after year lives are lost and many others require intense treatment in hospitals in Meghalaya, mostly in rural areas, due to the consumption of poisonous mushrooms. Numerous cases have been reported from Ri-Bhoi over the years.
The end of the dry season will invariably lead to the flourishing of wild mushrooms. Wild mushrooms are often foraged casually from forests during this season, when such fungi are known to proliferate, without proper identification or safety measures.
People who have consumed poisonous mushrooms should be treated immediately at the nearest primary health centre, community health centre or other healthcare facility.
