Li Haijiao, Yizhe Zhang, Hongshun Zhang, Zhou Jing, Mingxuan Yuan, Zhiyuan Liu, Li Zhongfeng, Zhong Jiaju, Sun Chengye
WHAT IS ALREADY KNOWN ABOUT THIS TOPIC? Mushroom poisoning is a major food safety threat in China. Since 2019, systematic investigations by China CDC have mapped the spatial and temporal patterns of poisoning incidents and documented the diversity of poisonous mushroom species nationwide. From 2019 to 2024, the annual number of incidents ranged from 276 to 676, and the case fatality rate ranged from 0.87% to 2.86%. WHAT IS ADDED BY THIS REPORT? In 2025, China CDC investigated 828 mushroom poisoning incidents across 27 provincial-level administrative divisions (PLADs), affecting 2,165 individuals and causing 13 deaths — a case fatality rate of 0.6%, the lowest of the past six years. In total, 138 poisonous mushroom species were identified, including 34 newly recorded in poisoning incidents in China. WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS FOR PUBLIC HEALTH PRACTICE? Prompt identification of the mushroom species, detection of toxins, and confirmation of the clinical syndrome are critical for guiding appropriate treatment and implementing effective public health interventions. Continued efforts are needed to strengthen public education and to enforce stricter market regulation of wild mushroom sales.