PHNOM PENH, July 24 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia's Ministry of Health on Wednesday appealed to people not to consume unknown mushrooms after 17 people have been hospitalized in northeastern Ratanakiri province.

The patients, who live in Ou Ya Dav district's Loum village, were admitted to a local health center and a hospital on Sunday after eating a locally foraged wild mushroom.

"The patients, including four women, have the symptoms of abdominal pain, diarrhea, and vomiting," the ministry said in a news release. "They have been receiving intensive care from our medical team."

Health authorities have looked into the incident and educated the villagers to avoid eating unidentified mushrooms, the ministry said.

"Among thousands of the species of mushrooms, there are about 100 species, most of them are poisonous, when being eaten," the ministry said.

The ministry called on people to avoid eating unfamiliar mushrooms, saying that "mushroom poisoning can cost lives".

The symptoms that occur from two to six hours after eating poisonous mushrooms include abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, dilated iris and dyspnea, the ministry said, adding that poisonous levels depend on kinds of mushrooms.

People should seek medical care at their nearest health centers if they have mushroom poisoning, the ministry said. Enditem

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