Two family members in Tay Ninh Province, southern Vietnam are in critical condition and the third has died after eating wild mushrooms stir-fired with sponge gourds.

A representative of Cho Ray Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City said on Thursday that the hospital admitted three family members, including two parents and their 17-year-old daughter, for treatment due to mushroom poisoning on Tuesday.

Despite treatment efforts, the father passed away.

Dr. Nguyen Thi Thuy Ngan, deputy head of the Department of Tropical Diseases at Cho Ray Hospital, said that the family had picked the mushrooms themselves and cooked them with sponge gourds.

The father consumed half of the dish, while his wife and daughter shared the rest.

Eight to 12 hours after their meal, the three developed symptoms of nausea and diarrhea. They were taken to a local hospital after their health conditions became worse and eventually were transferred to Cho Ray Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City.

Shortly after being referred to Cho Ray Hospital, the husband began showing symptoms of shortness of breath and respiratory failure.

He received endotracheal intubation at the hospital but eventually succumbed to the poisonous mushrooms.

The two others suffered liver failure, elevated liver enzymes, and hemophilia.

After two days of treatment, the daughter’s health began to improve, but her mother was still in a critical condition.

The exact toxin in the mushrooms they ate remains unidentified, said Dr. Ngan.

This family often picks wild mushrooms in the rainy season. This was the second time they picked mushrooms to cook. They experienced no issues in the first time.

Dr. Ngan warns against consuming wild mushrooms as they often contain toxins that can destroy human organs such as kidney and liver.

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