Public health emergencies of mushroom poisoning in China, 2004 - 2009

Objective To analyze the epidemiological characteristics of mushroom poisoning events in China from 2004 to 2009, and provide scientific evidence for the strategy development of control and prevention. Methods The descriptive analysis was conducted on the incidence data of mushroom poisoning events reported through Public Health Emergency Reporting System during this period. Results A total of 311 mushroom poisoning events were reported with 1954 poisoning cases and 409 deaths. The case fatality was 20.93%. Most events (76.21%) resulted in at least 1 death, and the majority of the events occurred in summer and autumn in southern China. Up to 77.81% of the events occurred at home. Conclusion The impact of mushroom poisoning is serious. It is necessary to strengthen the surveillance and management of food safety, conduct health education in different forms to prevent mushroom poisoning.