<p class="title">At least eight people died while collecting rare medicinal fungus Yarsagumba, popularly known as the Himalayan viagra, in Nepal's Dolpa district, police said here, on Thursday.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Known for its aphrodisiac properties, Yarsagumba is only found in the Himalayan mountains above 10,000 feet.</p>.<p class="bodytext">At least eight people died in the last one week while collecting the unique caterpillar-fungus fusion. While five pluckers died of altitude sickness, two fell off a cliff while plucking the expensive fungus, police said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">A toddler accompanying his mother, who was collecting the herb, also died due to altitude sickness, they said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Every summer, people come from miles around to search for the precious crop, which sells for over USD 100 a gram across Asia and the US.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The local authorities have set up health camps at various places for facilitating the Yarsagumba collectors. Over a dozen pluckers are receiving treatment in these health camps, officials said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Yarsagumba is a unique caterpillar-fungus fusion that occurs when parasitic mushroom spores infect and mummify a ghost moth larva living in the soil.</p>.<p class="bodytext">There are more than 70 highland meadows opened for Yarsagumba pickers in Dolpa district, situated 600 km north-west of Kathmandu.</p>
<p class="title">At least eight people died while collecting rare medicinal fungus Yarsagumba, popularly known as the Himalayan viagra, in Nepal's Dolpa district, police said here, on Thursday.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Known for its aphrodisiac properties, Yarsagumba is only found in the Himalayan mountains above 10,000 feet.</p>.<p class="bodytext">At least eight people died in the last one week while collecting the unique caterpillar-fungus fusion. While five pluckers died of altitude sickness, two fell off a cliff while plucking the expensive fungus, police said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">A toddler accompanying his mother, who was collecting the herb, also died due to altitude sickness, they said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Every summer, people come from miles around to search for the precious crop, which sells for over USD 100 a gram across Asia and the US.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The local authorities have set up health camps at various places for facilitating the Yarsagumba collectors. Over a dozen pluckers are receiving treatment in these health camps, officials said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Yarsagumba is a unique caterpillar-fungus fusion that occurs when parasitic mushroom spores infect and mummify a ghost moth larva living in the soil.</p>.<p class="bodytext">There are more than 70 highland meadows opened for Yarsagumba pickers in Dolpa district, situated 600 km north-west of Kathmandu.</p>