Poison mushrooms sicken 23, kill 1 in California. Here’s what to know
A total of 23 children and adults have fallen ill in California after being poisoned by foraged wild mushrooms, according to the California Poison Control Service.
One person died from eating a deadly variety of mushroom, officials with the state agency said at a Tuesday, Dec. 9, news conference.
Mushroom poisoning outbreaks have occurred in Monterey and San Francisco since Tuesday, Nov. 18, according to the California Department of Publish Health.
“The most recent cases occurred over this past weekend — with the most recent case reported Dec. 6,” Dr. Craig Smollin, California Poison Control Service medical director for San Francisco, said during Tuesday’s news conference.
However, officials warn, the risk is statewide.
The sickened Californians apparently ate foraged poisonous death cap mushrooms — scientific name Amanita phalloides — after mistaking them for “familiar edible varieties,” officials said.
“All developed symptoms within the first 24 hours, including nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain,” Smollin said. “Most of the patients have now actually been discharged. However, we are still following five patients that are currently hospitalized.”
Smollin said one person had to have a liver transplant as a result of eating the mushrooms, while another is still waiting for a liver transplant.
He also said the cases range from a 19-month-old child to a 56-year-old adult.
What are death cap mushrooms?
Death cap mushrooms are easily mistaken for safe, edible varieties, since they share a similar appearance, the California Department of Public Health said.
“Toxic death cap mushrooms cannot be distinguished by taste from varieties that are safe to consume,” the agency said. “The toxins of most concern in death cap mushrooms, amatoxins, can affect humans and animals.”
Cooking, boiling, drying or freezing do not make the mushrooms safe to eat.
“Death cap mushrooms are found in many parts of California, particularly near oaks and other hardwood trees, including pine trees,” the agency said. “Rain events in the fall and winter months create ideal conditions for their growth.”
Should you eat wild mushrooms?
The experts say no.
“I want to just first emphasize that the single most important intervention that we have at our disposal here is to prevent the exposure in the first place,” Smollin said.
Dr. Cyrus Rangan, a pediatrician and medical toxicologist with the California Poison Control Service, said the blanket advice is simple because of the extreme consequences.
“This isn’t a case of people getting into edible mushrooms that were somehow spoiled and then turned into poisonous mushrooms,” Rangan said. “Out in the wild, there are mushrooms that are edible and there are mushrooms that are poisonous. And it’s very, very difficult to tell the difference between the two.”
Rangan said experienced foragers, in locations they are familiar with, can safely harvest mushrooms with extensive education.
“But the overwhelming majority of people don’t have that expertise,” he said.
What are common symptoms of mushroom poisoning?
According to the state poison control system, symptoms of mushroom poisoning include:
- Abdominal pain
- Cramping
- Diarrhea
- Death
- Liver damage
- Vomiting
Who is at risk of getting sick?
If you eat foraged mushrooms, you’re at risk, experts say.
Death cap mushrooms aren’t limited to a single part of the state, said Dr. Rais Vohra, California Poison Control Service medical director for Frenso and Madera.
“This is currently happening in Northern California. But mushrooms can be found throughout California,” Vohra said at the news conference. “And we’ve had cases in years past from Southern California, in Central California where I practice.”
“This is really something that we really want all Californians to become aware of,” Vohra added. “This is a hazard in the wintertime months that can happen really all over our state.”
Officials also warn being poisoned by foraged mushrooms is common among immigrant communities in the United States.
“When we see these outbreaks, one of the common threads that we often see with these are ... often communities of immigrants who have experience foraging mushrooms in other countries ... and then go foraging in a new environment,” Smollin said.
What to do if you eat poison mushrooms
If you’re concerned that you or another person has eaten a poisonous mushroom, call the poison control hotline at 1-800-222-1222 or 911.
“If the public is concerned that they have ingested a mushroom that may be toxic — certainly, if they have any symptoms at all, they should present to an emergency department and be evaluated by a physician, someone with expertise,” Smollin said. “And they should provide that information that they were actually out foraging.”
This story was originally published December 8, 2025 at 2:16 PM.
