Morel mushrooms have been linked connected to a fatal outbreak in Montana last year, a report in the Center for Disease Control’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report stated on Thursday.
As per the study, between March and April of last year, 51 individuals experienced “mild to severe gastrointestinal illness” after dining at a restaurant in Bozeman, Mont. Three people were hospitalized and two people died.
After inspecting and temporarily closing the restaurant, the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services and Montana’s Gallatin City-County Health Department “worked with CDC to conduct a matched case-control study among restaurant patrons to help identify the source of the outbreak,” according to the study.
“Consumption of morel mushrooms, which are generally considered edible, was strongly linked to gastrointestinal illness,” the study states. “A dose-response relationship was identified, and consuming raw morel mushrooms was more strongly linked to illness than consuming those that were at least partially cooked.”
Following the outbreak, public notices were issued concerning the consumption of morel mushrooms, the study noted.
The study also said the “investigation emphasizes the importance of prompt cross-agency communication and collaboration, the usefulness of epidemiologic studies in foodborne disease outbreak investigations, and the need for further research about the impact of morel mushroom consumption on human health.”
“Although the toxins in morel mushrooms that might cause illness are not fully understood, proper preparation methods, such as thorough cooking, may help to reduce negative health effects,” the study continued.
