The individual, who was rescued, would have confused the blue tora, also known as mats, with wild celery.
Elements of the Fire Brigade of Catalonia (Spain) rescued a 50-year-old man who mistakenly consumed blue tora (‘Aconitum napellus’), considered the most toxic wild plant in Europe, during an excursion in an area known as the Pico del Aguila, in the Nuria Valley, reported the organism.
As detailed by the Firefighters, the hiker would have ingested the blue tora, also known as mats, after confusing it with wild celery. Shortly after consuming it, he began to feel dizzy and vomit, for which he requested the assistance of rescuers.
When the emergency services arrived to rescue him, the individual had difficulty moving, a low radial pulse, and a bluish color to the skin of the extremities. Due to the serious condition he was in, he was evacuated by air and transferred to a hospital in Girona to receive primary care, before being admitted to a health center in Barcelona, where he is already recovering.
An extremely toxic plant
This plant with violet flowers owes its toxicity to the concentrations of a steroidal alkaloid called aconitine, whose neurotoxic and cardiotoxic action causes neuromuscular paralysis and failures in the cardiovascular system. A dose of two milligrams is enough to cause death in an adult.
“Do not confuse the blue bull with wild celery. When in doubt, be careful,” the Catalan firefighters recommended to hikers to avoid more similar incidents.
Source: RT
