Epidemiological characteristics of toadstool poisoning in Guangdong Province from 2015 to 2020

Abstract

ObjectiveTo analyze the epidemiological characteristics of toadstool poisoning in Guangdong Province from 2015 to 2020 and provide guidance for prevention and control strategies.MethodsToadstool cases reported between 2015 and 2020 in Guangdong Province were extracted from the Foodborne Disease Case Surveillance and Reporting System， and their epidemiological characteristics were analyzed. ArcGIS 10.8 software was used for spatial analysis.ResultsA total of 854 cases of mushroom poisoning were reported in Guangdong Province from 2015 to 2020， with an average annual incidence of 0.32 cases per 100 000 population. A total of 395 patients were hospitalized， with a hospitalization rate of 46.3% and mortality rate of 0%. The mean， median， minimum， and maximum incubation periods were 2.8 h， 2.0 h， 0 h， and 32 h， respectively. A total of 448 males and 406 females were identified， with a male-to-female ratio of 1.10∶1. Most patients were farmers （34.19%， 292/854）， and the onset age ranged from 31-59 years old. The highest number of cases was reported in 2018， and the incidence peak was from May to September， with Shaoguan serving as the high incidence area. Spatial analysis revealed that from 2015 to 2020， the hotspots of toadstool poisoning in Guangdong Province were Shaoguan and Qingyuan.ConclusionThe incidence of toadstool poisoning in Guangdong Province displays a spatial aggregation pattern and is mainly concentrated in the northern area of Guangdong Province. Effects should be made to educate farmers， establish strategies for preventing and controlling toadstool poisoning， and promote scientific understanding to reduce its occurrence.

Keywords

• toadstool poisoning
• epidemiology
• guangdong province
• foodborne disease