Four siblings poisoned after ingesting unknown herb

Jordan

Published: 2020-10-15 11:28

Last Updated: 2024-03-27 13:50


Four siblings poisoned after ingesting unknown herb
Four siblings poisoned after ingesting unknown herb

Four siblings, aged between six and ten, were poisoned and admitted to AlNadeem Hospital in Madaba after ingesting an unknown herb, the hospital's director, Ibrahim Al-Maayah, told Roya on Thursday.

The children ingested a herb called Ecballium or “Squirting Cucumber” which is similar to a watermelon but is poisonous and bitter, he added.

Al-Maayah said that three of the children were removed from the Intensive Care Unit(ICU), while the fourth sibling is in good health condition, noting that the medical personnel carried out the necessary treatments for the children.

Ecballium is a wild herbaceous poisonous plant of the cucurbits family which grows in Mediterranean regions. The fruits are approximately the size of a date and are yellowish green. When ripe, these fruits burst when touched.