Posted on 12/07/2025 8:21:40 PM PST by Red Badger
California officials are warning foragers after an outbreak of poisoning linked to wild mushrooms that has killed one adult and caused severe liver damage in several patients, including children.
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.”
One adult has died and several patients have required intensive care, including at least one who might need a liver transplant.
Wet weather fuels 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.
(Excerpt) Read more at abcnews.go.com ...
Ping!.....................
I wonder if these are “newcomers” being poisoned.
Stupid people.
Amanitas are easy to identify, even for beginners.
A volva and a veil are easy. Pure white, leave it alone. I could go on but a course in identification would be lenghty.
That’s why I get my mushrooms at the grocery store!...............
Maybe. A few years back an entire family from Korea I think was sickened by picking the wrong mushrooms because they looked like ones from back home in Korea.................
I can happily live without eating wild mushrooms of any stripe.
Reminds me of the Clint Eastwood movie The Beguiled.
I’ve seen the warning signs at Pt. Reyes, and was surprised to see them in Thai, among other foreign languages. Government publications where there’s only two additional language will be Spanish, and either Chinese, Tagolog, or Vietnamese. If it is in six or seven, Thai is rarely included.
I have esten 125 plus wild mushroom species. One time, early on, I came close to being poisoned, just once.
I’m an expert mushroom forager but even then, if I’m not 1,000% sure I pass. When it comes to Destroying Angel I’ll even pass up the safe ones (White Dapperling) because they look very close to Destroying Angel. Even one Destroying Angel can kill so it’s just not worth the risk.
I mainly stick to about a dozen edibles that are safe and visit well established patches every year. Others see me foraging and I always warn them that there are many poisonous mushrooms in the area so don’t forage without an expert!
The hippies I see looking for hallucinogenic shrooms, they always have my concern. I see the magic mushrooms often but don’t let them know where.
Anyone dumb enough to eat a death cap mushroom...
Be careful out there!
Death Cap/ Destroying Angel
https://www.mushroomexpert.com/amanita_bisporigera.html
Saving them for yourself, eh?....................
Ha ha haaaaa 🤣🤣🤣 ... well I sure keep my Morel patches secret 😆
If only there was some kind of electronic device that could test for the presence of the alkaloids that are dangerous...............
Yeah, I suspected Asians. I’ve heard that there are no poisonous mushrooms in large parts of the continent. Look-alikes could also be a problem.
“...If someone ingests a Destroying Angel and doesn’t receive prompt treatment, there’s a 50 percent chance they’ll be dead within a week. If they are lucky, they might just lose a kidney or experience liver failure. ...”
Mycology Professor Thwarts Destroying Angel
https://www2.cortland.edu/news/mycology-professor-thwarts-destroying-angel
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