Health Ministry Urges Caution Against Consuming Unknown Plant Species

On April 19, four residents of the Getahovit community (members of the same family – father, mother, son, and daughter) were admitted to the Ijevan Medical Center via an ambulance with a preliminary diagnosis of food poisoning. Tragically, the daughter (born in 2009) passed away.

The three other family members were transferred by ambulance to First University Hospital of Yerevan and Muratsan Medical Center. All have since been discharged.

An epidemiological investigation conducted by the National Center for Disease Control and Prevention of the Ministry of Health revealed that the affected individuals had consumed a type of dish made from greens, referred to as "ginazokh," which was identified as a probable cause of the poisoning.

Samples were taken from the dish for laboratory testing. The results indicated that all three samples of ginazokh (raw, boiled, and fried) exhibited acute toxic effects.

To prevent food poisoning, the Ministry of Health's National Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommends avoiding the consumption of plant species of unknown origin. In case of poisoning symptoms, individuals are advised to seek medical assistance immediately and to refrain from self-medication.

It should be noted that there are eight types of alkaloids present in ginazokh. Two of these, gamma coniine and coniine, which are in the highest quantities, are highly toxic. Coniine disrupts the functioning of the central nervous system and poses serious dangers to human health. Coniine blocks neuromuscular synapses, leading to paralysis of respiratory muscles, which can result in death due to a lack of oxygen.