Swiss mushroom pickers face shortage of poison antidote
The public is invited to have all self-picked mushrooms inspected by a mushroom control station; addresses of these local control points can be found at www.vapko.ch.
Keystone-SDA
Select your language
Generated with artificial intelligence.
Listening: Swiss mushroom pickers face shortage of poison antidote
The current shortage of the antidote used to treat mushroom poisoning is problematic. Tox Info Suisse urges amateur mushroom pickers to have all mushroom pickings checked by an official mushroom inspection body.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Keystone-SDA
Français
fr
Cueillette de champignons: contrôles impératifs faute d’antidote
Original
The antidote used in cases of Amanita phalloides poisoning is not available in Switzerland or abroad until at least mid-November, the Tox Info Suisse foundation said on Monday. Other therapeutic options are also limited.
Every year, Tox Info Suisse reports several hundred cases of mushroom poisoning, some of them serious. Mushroom poisoning that is not properly treated can be fatal.
In 2023, Tox Info saw 98 cases of mushroom poisoning documented by doctors (compared with 91 the previous year), including one serious case in an adult, according to the latest data provided to Keystone-SDA news agency. Only one case, of moderate severity, was attributable to Amanita phalloides.
In order to limit the number of potentially serious health problems to a minimum, the public is invited to have all self-picked mushrooms inspected by a mushroom control station. The addresses of these local control points can be found at www.vapko.ch.
In Switzerland the emergency number for poisoning is 145. Specially trained physicians will give advice 24/7 in cases of poisoning with, for example, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, other drugs, poisonous plants, mushrooms or venomous animals.
Translated from French with DeepL/gw
This news story has been written and carefully fact-checked by an external editorial team. At SWI swissinfo.ch we select the most relevant news for an international audience and use automatic translation tools such as DeepL to translate it into English. Providing you with automatically translated news gives us the time to write more in-depth articles.
If you want to know more about how we work, have a look here, if you want to learn more about how we use technology, click here, and if you have feedback on this news story please write to english@swissinfo.ch.
Train vs plane: would you take a direct train between London and Geneva?
Eurostar is planning to run direct trains from Britain to Germany and Switzerland from the early 2030s. Would you favour the train over the plane? If not, why not?
Swiss voters to decide on three issues on November 30
This content was published on
Compulsory service for all, a tax on million-dollar inheritances, more indirect subsidies for media publishers: the electorate can vote on these three national issues on November 30.
Dollar falls to lowest level against franc in 14 years
This content was published on
The weakness of the dollar in recent weeks continues. The greenback hit new lows for the year against both the franc and the euro on Tuesday.
This content was published on
Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter has met French President Emmanuel Macron to discuss the EU treaties and geopolitical challenges. US tariffs were also part of the bilateral talks.
This content was published on
Swiss moors and floodplains are in a poor state. Researchers say further efforts are needed to preserve these biotopes in the long term.
Drones banned during the three Euro games in St Gallen
This content was published on
The St. Gallen government has issued a temporary ban on flying drones around the football stadium in St. Gallen. The measure will apply on three match days of Euro 2025, which starts on Wednesday.
EU nationals come to Switzerland primarily to work
This content was published on
Given the demographic slowdown, the Swiss labour market must remain open, argues the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) in its annual report on the free movement of people.
UN expert accuses Glencore of complicity with Israel
This content was published on
The UN Special Rapporteur on the Palestinian Territories has accused Zug-based Glencore of profiting from an Israeli economy that has become "an economy of genocide".
Swiss parliamentary commission to investigate F-35 purchase
This content was published on
The Swiss government and the other responsible authorities must once again answer critical questions about the procurement of the F-35 fighter jets.
Objections and appeals most common obstacles to residential construction projects
This content was published on
Objections and appeals are most frequently responsible for delays in new residential construction projects in Switzerland.
Swiss electricity prices predicted to fall in 2026
This content was published on
Electricity prices in 2026 are likely to be lower than this year, according to a survey. The main reason is the fall in prices on the electricity market.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.