California officials warn against mushroom foraging after poisoning outbreak

California officials are warning foragers about an outbreak of poisoning linked to wild mushrooms.

One adult has died and several patients have required intensive care, including at least one who might need a liver transplant.

The state poison control system has identified 21 cases of amatoxin poisoning, likely caused by death cap mushrooms, the health department said Friday.

The toxic wild mushrooms are often mistaken for edible ones because of their appearance and taste.

“Death cap mushrooms contain potentially deadly toxins that can lead to liver failure,” Erica Pan, director of the California Department of Public Health, said in a statement. “Because the death cap can easily be mistaken for edible safe mushrooms, we advise the public not to forage for wild mushrooms at all during this high-risk season.”

Wet weather encourages the growth of death cap mushrooms, and officials warn against any wild mushroom foraging to avoid confusion.

Residents in central California’s Monterey County became ill after eating mushrooms found in a local park, according to county health officials.

Another cluster of cases were in the San Francisco Bay Area, but state health officials warned that the risk is everywhere.

There were more than 4,500 cases of exposure to unidentified mushrooms logged at America’s Poison Centres in 2023, according to their National Poison Data System annual report. Roughly half were in young children, who experts warn may pick and eat a mushroom while playing outside.

Are there death cap mushrooms in the UK?

Death cap mushrooms are fairly common in most parts of the UK and are typically found in forests beneath oak and beech trees.

The mushrooms are particularly dangerous because they can be mistaken for edible button mushrooms.

They are responsible for 90% of deaths by fungus, according to the Woodland Trust, and half a cap or even less is enough to kill a person.