SAN DIEGO (AP) — 4 folks have died and three others have required liver transplants after consuming the aptly named loss of life cap mushroom that’s proliferating in California following a wet winter.
The California Division of Public Well being is urging folks to keep away from mushroom foraging altogether this 12 months as a result of loss of life cap mushrooms are simply confused with protected, edible varieties.
Since Nov. 18 there have been greater than three dozen circumstances of mushroom poisonings reported, together with the 4 deaths and three liver transplants, in keeping with the well being division. Many who sought medical consideration suffered from quickly evolving acute liver damage and liver failure. A number of sufferers required admission to an intensive care unit. They’ve ranged in age from 19 months to 67 years outdated.
“This drastically exceeds the standard report of lower than 5 circumstances of mushroom poisonings a 12 months,” the division stated in its public well being warning.
U.S. Poison Facilities stated in an e mail to The Related Press that it dealt with 2,315 mushroom exposures from September 2025 by means of January 2026 — a 40% improve in comparison with the identical interval within the earlier 12 months. Exposures don’t at all times end in sickness or poisoning.
Consultants warn {that a} mushroom’s shade just isn’t a dependable means of detecting its toxicity, and whether or not the loss of life cap selection is uncooked, dried or cooked doesn’t make a distinction.
Laura Marcelino informed the San Francisco Chronicle that her household within the Northern California city of Salinas gathered mushrooms that seemed like those she and her husband used to forage of their native Oaxaca, a state in Southern Mexico.
“We thought it was protected,” Marcelino, 36, stated in Spanish.
Her husband was dizzy and drained the subsequent day, however Marcelino felt nice, they usually ate the mushrooms once more, heating them up in a soup with tortillas. Their youngsters don’t like mushrooms and so didn’t have any. The subsequent day, each adults, seasonal farmworkers, turned sick with vomiting and stayed dwelling from work.
Marcelino spent 5 days within the hospital, whereas her husband needed to endure a liver transplant.
Individuals can have abdomen cramping, nausea, diarrhea or vomiting inside 24 hours after ingesting a poisonous mushroom and the state of affairs can rapidly deteriorate after that, consultants say. Early signs may go away inside a day, however severe to deadly liver injury can nonetheless develop inside 2 to three days.
Demise cap mushrooms have been collected in native and nationwide parks throughout Northern California and the Central Coast. Clusters have been recognized within the Monterey and San Francisco Bay areas as nicely.
The general public well being division stated these poisoned have included many Spanish, Mixteco, and Mandarin Chinese language audio system and the state in response has expanded their warnings in numerous languages. Spanish was the first language for greater than 60% of individuals poisoned, in keeping with the well being division.
Kids have been amongst these poisoned this 12 months. Officers advise keeping track of youngsters and pets outdoors the place mushrooms develop, and shopping for mushrooms from trusted grocery shops and sellers.
Remedy is harder as soon as signs begin so docs advise folks to hunt medical care as soon as somebody turns into conscious that they’ve eaten a toxic mushroom or suspect they’ve.
U.S. Poison Management Facilities could be reached in case of an emergency poisoning or for questions on mushrooms at 1-800-222-1222 or PoisonHelp.org.
