Toxicologists issue mushroom warning

Toxicologists have warned people not to risk their lives by picking mushrooms they do not know. On average up to 500 Czechs end up in hospital every summer with more or less serious symptoms of mushroom poisoning. The national laboratory for toxins, says it now gets on average five specimen of mushrooms a day from hospitals requesting information about the type of poisoning involved. Mushroom picking is a national pastime in the Czech Republic with hundreds of people heading for the forest every day. Toxicologists say storing mushrooms in plastic bags, even for a few hours, can also result in serious health complications.