Tragedy has struck the remote village of Naputir in Loletio Sub County, Kotido District, where at least six children have died and several others remain hospitalized after reportedly consuming wild mushrooms suspected to be poisonous.
The victims, most of them between the ages of three and eight, are believed to have foraged the mushrooms while unsupervised on Sunday. Their parents were reportedly away attending a wedding ceremony in nearby Rengen Sub County, leaving the children to search for food on their own in the surrounding bushland.
According to Francis Aldon Lotoo, a member of the Village Health Team (VHT) in Naputir, the children began exhibiting severe symptoms shortly after consuming the mushrooms. “They started vomiting and experiencing intense diarrhea almost immediately,” Lotoo said. One child died before medical personnel could intervene at Panyangara Health Centre III, and by Tuesday, the death toll had risen to six.
As panic spread through the community, more children exhibiting similar symptoms were rushed to local health facilities. Eight are currently receiving treatment at Kotido General Hospital and Panyangara Health Centre III, with an additional ten new cases reported on Wednesday morning.
Among the latest victims is a mother, Angelina Achen, and her young son, who were rushed to Odoki Clinic in Kapadakok Trading Centre. Both developed acute gastrointestinal symptoms consistent with mushroom poisoning, adding a new layer of concern as the incident now appears to be affecting adults as well.
District health officials have launched an urgent investigation. Tonny Achuma, the Kotido District Surveillance Focal Point Officer, confirmed that samples of the mushrooms have been dispatched to the National Analytical Laboratory in Wandegeya for toxicological analysis.
“We are working to determine the exact species of mushroom consumed and whether it is linked to similar poisoning cases in the region,” Achuma said, urging residents to avoid foraging wild plants without expert guidance.
This is not the first time wild mushroom poisoning has claimed lives in Uganda’s rural areas, where food insecurity often drives vulnerable families to consume wild vegetation. Local leaders are now calling for increased public health education and improved food security measures to prevent similar tragedies.
