Dangerous forage: two workers hospitalized after consuming wild tobacco

Two foreign workers from Thailand, in their 40s, were hospitalized on Saturday in the intensive care unit at the Rambam Medical Center, suffering from severe poisoning caused by the tree tobacco plant (Nicotiana glauca).

The two individuals apparently picked the plant in their residential area in the Hof HaCarmel region and prepared a soup from it. A few hours after consumption, they began to suffer from severe symptoms of poisoning. One patient is currently in serious condition, sedated and ventilated following the onset of respiratory distress. The condition of the second worker has improved, and he has been transferred to an internal medicine ward for further observation.

"The two arrived at the hospital with the plant," says Osnat Aspis, head nurse in the general intensive care unit at Rambam. "We have never encountered such a case, and the fact that they brought the plant with them definitely helped to speed up the diagnosis and the treatment provided."

The National Poison Information Center at Rambam notes that tree tobacco (Nicotiana glauca) is the only tobacco species that grows in the wild in Israel. "The plant is common in almost all areas of the country. It typically grows in open fields, empty urban lots, construction sites, and near garbage dumps," explains Dr. Yael Lurie, director of the center.

The primary toxic substance in the plant is Anabasine, which acts similarly to nicotine. Ingesting parts of the plant can cause severe gastrointestinal distress, including nausea and vomiting, as well as sweating, excessive salivation, dizziness, tremors, fluctuations in blood pressure and heart rate, and central nervous system damage, potentially leading to seizures and loss of consciousness.

"The severity of the poisoning depends on the amount ingested, and severe cases, including rare instances of mortality, have been documented," says Dr. Lurie, adding that there is no specific antidote, and treatment focuses on supporting vital functions until the toxin is cleared from the body.

Although such poisoning cases are rare, medical professionals emphasize that while casual contact with the plant is harmless, the public must be warned against picking or preparing food or tea from plants that have not been responsibly identified by experts. In any case of suspected poisoning, it is vital to bring the source to the emergency room for identification by the botanists who advise the National Poison Information Center.