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Jul 13, 2008 4:47 pm US/Eastern

6 Become Ill After Eating Stew With Dangerous Weed

GAITHERSBURG, Md. (AP) ―

Montgomery County health officials say six people were hospitalized after eating a stew at a family dinner made with jimson, a potentially fatal weed.

Authorities say the plant was picked from a small herb garden and added to a potato stew for a gathering Wednesday in Gaithersburg.

Six family members who ate the stew soon became ill, while six others who did not eat it were unaffected.

Those who became sick ranged in age from 20 to 70-years-old.

Their symptoms included nausea, dizziness and hallucinations following the dinner.

Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services says tests confirmed the plant was jimson.

Belladonna alkaloids in jimson can have serious neurological effects and can be deadly in large doses.

Health officials say though the weed can be found in farm fields, it's unusual for it to show up in suburban gardens.

Satnam Singh attended the dinner, but didn't eat the stew. He says it's not uncommon for the family to use garden herbs in their cooking. He says they plan to be more careful now.

(© 2008 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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