Seven Recuperating After a Death Meal in Kilifi
By The COAST Reporter
Email, thecoastnewspaper@gmail.com
Three children died and seven others hospitalised at the Kilifi County Referral Hospital after a meal of wild mushrooms and ugali believed to be poisonous.
Christine Furaha, one of the family member, says one of the children died at Bamba Health Center before the remaining nine victims were rushed to the Referral hospital.
Out of which one died on the way and another after being admitted and undergoing treatment on July 22, 2023.
According to her the children had ate the mushrooms soup with ugali prepared by their elder brother.
“Their elder brother prepared mushroom soup which they used with ugali. We normally eat mushrooms especially during this rain seasons but I don’t know what may have happened.”
Immediately after the meal, the children started complaining of stomach pains and starting severe vomiting at around 2 pm and the first child died moments after arriving at Bamba Health Center.
The incident occurred at Katendewa village in Ganze Constituency, Kilifi County.
Dr Maalik Tajbhai, medical superintendent of Referral hospital said the children, aged between three and thirteen years, were admitted with stomach upsets, severe vomiting and general body malaise.
Five out of the seven are undertaking treatment at the general paediatric ward while two are at the high dependency unit care.
“Upon taking history of the incident, we realised the children had consumed mushroom in their area before developing symptoms of severe vomiting, stomach aches and general body malaise.”
According to the doctor through the assistance of Pwani University they managed to identify the species likely to producing amatoxin which affects the liver.
“We asked for samples of the mushroom species and with the help of our colleagues from Pwani University we identify the consumed species as likely to produce _aflatoxin_ called _amatoxin_ which affects the liver.”
To investigate further, the bodies of the three children who succumbed after eating the mushrooms will undergo postmortem at the Kilifi mortuary.
