Health officials say people should avoid foraging and only eat mushrooms from trusted suppliers such as grocery stores<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n
By I. Edwards HealthDay Reporter<\/b>
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MONDAY, Dec. 8, 2025 (HealthDay News) \u2014 California health officials are warning people not to collect or eat wild mushrooms after a toxin found in some types poisoned nearly two dozen people and killed one.<\/p>\n
The California Poison Control System reported 21 cases linked to a toxin called amatoxin, found in a mushroom known as the death cap.<\/p>\n
The illnesses occurred between mid-November and early December, according to a statement from the California Department of Public Health<\/a>.<\/p>\n Some patients, including both children and adults, developed severe liver damage and at least one person may need a liver transplant, officials said.<\/p>\n Death cap mushrooms are among the world\u2019s most poisonous. Eating even small amounts can lead to liver and kidney failure.<\/p>\n They grow widely in California, especially in areas with hardwood trees such as oak or pine. Rainy fall and winter weather also makes them more common.<\/p>\n Hospitals in the Monterey and San Francisco Bay regions have reported more mushroom-related illnesses recently.<\/p>\n “Only people with extensive training and experience should eat wild mushrooms that they have picked themselves,” Dr. Edward Moreno<\/a>, Monterey County health officer, said.<\/p>\n Health experts say the danger comes from how easy it is to confuse death caps with safe mushrooms, as they can look and taste similar.<\/p>\n They are usually two to six inches tall and may have a yellowish green cap. Cooking or freezing does not remove the toxin, The New York Times<\/em> reported.<\/p>\n Symptoms usually begin within 24 hours. They may start with vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain and dehydration.<\/p>\n These symptoms may temporarily improve, but severe liver damage can develop days later, sometimes leading to organ failure or death.<\/p>\n Health officials recommend only eating mushrooms purchased from trusted grocery stores or commercial growers.<\/p>\n Mushroom poisonings are difficult to track, but a 2018 report in the journal Mycologia<\/a><\/em> estimated that about 7,400 toxic mushroom exposures happen each year in the United States. Most cases involve children under age 6.<\/p>\n More information<\/strong><\/p>\n The BC Center for Disease Control has more on death cap mushrooms<\/a>.<\/p>\n