Kathmandu, May 31 -- A few days ago, two girls aged 22 and 17 from a village in ward 5 of Mangsebung Rural Municipality in Ilam district died after eating wild mushrooms. Another man from the same area was hospitalised after consuming mushrooms collected from a nearby jungle.

With the monsoon just around the corner, experts warn that cases of wild mushroom poisoning and resulting death spike during the season.

The pre-monsoon rainfall has created moist conditions ideal for the growth of mushrooms in forests. Working-class people, especially those residing in rural areas who go into forests for fodder and firewood, are highly vulnerable to being affected by wild mushroom consumption.

"The chance of getting seriously ill or dying from wi...