Wild mushroom poisonings in Mexico: communication strategies to prevent them

Abstract

This work analyzes the safe consumption of wild mushrooms in Mexico, addresses the mushroom poisoning phenomenon, and discusses the role of communication and environmental education to prevent them. We documented that most mushroom poisonings happen in mestizo and transculturized indigenous communities. We constructed the online ‘Digital repository of edible and toxic mushrooms of Mexico.’ The repository contains: updated full listings of edible and toxic mushrooms, infographics of the most important species, a photograph catalogue, and information and treatment protocols for physicians. The website is a dynamic space consisting of educational information for health care specialists, mycologists, and society in general.

Acknowledgments

Special thanks to Victor Manuel Gómez Reyes, Alba Ortega, Mariano Torres, Héctor Aguilar, Aldo Luján and Alejandro Estrada Avendaño for their guidance and support in the field. To Dr. Pastor López Gómez and Dr. Alfredo Robledo Madrid for collaborating in this study and for their interest in contributing to the attention and prevention of micetism. Thanks to Karina Aranda Pineda, Jesús Ernesto Casas Ramírez, Mariana Escutia Manrique, Colibrí Fernández Ármendariz, Elena Flores Callejas and Adriana Soto-Gracía and Ireri Monter for their contribution in the elaboration of the infographics. Special thanks to Daniel Pérez Rendón foor the web site desing. We thank the Graduate Program in Biological Sciences and CONACyT for the support provided to the first author for her PhD studies (CVU: 3850746). In memoriam to Dr. Javier Caballero, who was fundamental for the design and conceptualization of this project.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This research was funded by UNAM-PAPIME PE213419 and UNAM-PAPIIT IN212521.