Mario isn’t too picky about his mushrooms, but you’d better be.
California officials issue warnings for wild mushroom foragers, as a poisoning outbreak potentially caused by wild mushrooms has killed an adult and left countless people of various ages with crippling liver damage.
The state poison control has recorded 21 cases of amatoxin poisoning likely caused by death cap mushrooms. The deceptive looks fool foragers who think those are edible.
Amatoxin stops protein synthesis in the body, leading to widespread cell death and organ failure, including damage to the kidney and liver, before being excreted. It is resistant to stomach acid and heat, so little can be done to render these mushrooms safe.
“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.”
Symptoms range from abdominal cramps, nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting within the first 24 hours. Although the gastrointestinal issues subside over time, health officials warn the public of severe damage to the liver. Multiple people have ended up in intensive care, with one patient in need of liver treatment. Officials have recorded one death as well.
Wet weather aids in the growth of these mushrooms. Cases among residents of central California’s Monterey County and the San Francisco Bay Area have been recorded; however, the risk is widespread. Thus, officials have warned residents against foraging for and consuming wild mushrooms.
According to their National Poison Data System annual report, approximately 4,500 cases of unidentified mushroom exposure were reported to America’s Poison Centers in 2023. Most of them involved young children, whose curiosity often overrides their sense of safety.
California’s poison control system sees a plethora of mushroom poisoning every year. Death cap and “destroying angel” mushrooms look edible, so experts advise against relying on color to determine whether a mushroom is toxic. Cooking the mushroom doesn’t do much in nullifying the poison either.
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