Senior doctor at the hospital Bijay Paudel said the alfatoxin present in wild mushroom hits liver and the patient cannot be saved without liver transplant, which cannot be done in Nepal. [break]“Alfatoxin damages liver which affects formation of blood and the patient ultimately dies after heart and lungs stop functioning,” Dr Paudel said.
“Liver transplant is not possible in Nepal. Hence the patient cannot be treated whether he is kept in Chitwan or sent to Kathmandu. We can just reduce toxins by giving supporting medications. We have to keep the patients on saline, glucose and anti-gastritis drugs,” he added.
Five persons of a familyin Kalibas-7, Choukidanda died on June 13 while eight of another family had died two years ago in Kanda, Lothar. Dr Paudel said the patients had died of liver damage in both these cases. He said the possibility of survival is greater if the patient is brought to the hospital within two hours of consuming the toxic mushroom.
Buddhi Bahadur Praja and four others from his family had been taken to Bharatpur Hospital the next day and they died one after another. Locals believe that eating sour lemon juice immediately after falling ill can cure the patient but doctors say that sour juice does not work on alfatoxin. “A patient cannot be saved by giving sour things once they consume the toxins in a large quantity,” Dr Paudel stated.
Locals in remote Chitwan are now demanding awareness campaign about the mushrooms that can and cannot be eaten. “We have to conduct awareness campaigns about edible and wild mushrooms to prevent this type of sad incidence,” Mina Chilwal, a teacher said. Elderly in the village, however, contend that the poisonous mushrooms lose toxicity once the first wave of rain washes the plant and the five died as they consumed before the first precipitation of this season arrived..
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