An outbreak of non-fatal mushroom poisoning with Omphalotus olearius among Syrian refugees in Izmir, Turkey

Abstract

Outbreak of mushroom poisoning is uncommon in Izmir, Turkey. We report an outbreak of mushroom poisoning with Omphalotus olearius in Syrian refugees. Nineteen patients (median age: 7.8 year; age range: 2–52 years; 16 female, 3 male) were admitted to the adult and pediatric emergency departments of Tepecik Training and Research Hospital, Izmir, due to vomiting and abdominal pain within 2 h after eating mushrooms. Transaminase levels were moderately elevated only in one patient. The symptoms disappeared in 8 h after admission. We present 19 Syrian refugees poisoning with O. olearius mushroom because of its rarity. In our opinion, this outbreak was a good example that how refugees can change the disease profile in emergency practice.

• Omphalotus olearius
• Jack o’lantern mushroom
• Syrian refugee
• non-fatal
• poisoning