As many as 13 school children feel sick after they consumed mushrooms that they cooked at an Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) centre in a village in West Bengal’s Bankura district. They were taken to the Raipur Rural Hospital with symptoms of food poisoning like vomiting and severe stomach ache. However, when their condition deteriorated, they were shifted to the Bankura Sammilani Medical College & Hospital. Their condition has improved significantly.

The mushrooms were collected from a local field and taking advantage of the staff at the ICDS kitchen, the kids themselves cooked and consumed them. Doctors suspect that the kids picked up infected mushrooms, which resulted in food poisoning.

The parents of the kids, however, have complained about negligence on the part of the authorities at the ICDS centre, where the kids were allowed to cook mushrooms they picked from a local field.

Food poisoning is a food-borne illness wherein people get sick from something they ate or drank. This usually happens because there are germs or other harmful things such as bacteria, fungi, parasites or viruses present in the food or beverage. When you consume these contaminated foods, your body reacts to remove these toxins. It might lead to vomiting, diarrhoea, fever or all of these. While these are usual symptoms, sometimes, food poisoning might also cause severe illness and complications.

Here, take a look at some of the some of the severe complications that can arise due to food poisoning.

Certain bacteria that cause food poisoning, such as Salmonella or Listeria can affect the bloodstream causing infection known as septicemia. This can lead to sepsis which is a life-threatening response to infection that can cause organ failure and death.

Pregnant women are particularly susceptible to Listeria infection, which can lead to miscarriage, stillbirth, premature delivery or life-threatening infections in newborns. Symptoms in pregnant women can be mild but can affect the foetus.

This usually happens from infection with Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC). HUS can lead to the destruction of red blood cells and lead to kidney failure. The condition requires immediate medical attention and can turn out to be fatal if not treated promptly.

Listeria monocytogenes can cause severe complications such as meningitis which is the inflammation of the protective membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord. Meningitis needs urgent medical treatment to prevent severe brain damage or death.

Severe cases of food poisoning can also result in long-term kidney damage. One might develop chronic kidney disease (CKD) if the kidneys are affected causing a gradual loss of kidney function over time. This might eventually lead to dialysis or a kidney transplant.

Severe vomiting and diarrhoea due to food poisoning can lead to fluid loss. When the body loses more fluids than it takes in, it can lead to dehydration. Severe dehydration can be life-threatening and might require hospitalisation.