A Poisoning Outbreak Caused by Anisodus tanguticus - Maqin County, Qinghai Province, China, July 2021.

WHAT IS ALREADY KNOWN ABOUT THIS TOPIC?: Anisodus tanguticus belongs to the Solanaceae family. The plant is toxic due to the tropane alkaloids it contains and can cause poisoning when it is ingested or used inappropriately.

WHAT IS ADDED BY THIS REPORT?: A poisoning outbreak involved 10 patients, and one death was caused by Anisodus tanguticus . The etiological association of plant exposure and poisoning was confirmed with evidence from an epidemiological investigation, clinical manifestations, plant identification and a toxin analysis.

WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS FOR PUBLIC HEALTH PRACTICE?: The risk of poisoning caused by mistakenly collecting and ingesting tropane alkaloid-containing plants should be highlighted, and public health practitioners should be on alert.