3 hospitalized in Sacramento County for poisonous mushrooms amid CA-wide outbreak
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Three people were hospitalized in Sacramento County after eating poisonous wild mushrooms.
- Since Nov. 9, 2025, 47 cases were reported in California, resulting in four deaths.
- Death Cap and Western Destroying Angel caused the three Sacramento hospitalizations.
Amid a statewide outbreak, Sacramento County has seen three recent hospitalizations due to poisoning from eating wild mushrooms, Sacramento County Public Health said Tuesday.
Death cap and Western destroying angel mushrooms were responsible for the three poisonings in Sacramento County, officials said. Both can look similar to edible mushrooms.
“With poisonings continuing to increase across California, we want residents to understand that foraging wild mushrooms carries significant risk,” SCPH Officer Dr. Olivia Kasirye said in a news release. “Toxic mushrooms can be difficult to distinguish from edible varieties and can cause severe illness or death. The safest choice amid this ongoing situation is to avoid wild mushroom foraging entirely.”
The California Department of Public Health and California Poison Control System announced an outbreak of poisoning from wild mushrooms specifically in Northern California and the Central Coast on Thursday in an alert to healthcare providers.
Since Nov. 9, 47 cases have been reported to California Poison Control, resulting in four deaths and at least four liver transplants, the alert said. Officials said about five cases are typically reported during the same period in a typical year.
Ten coastal counties — from Humboldt to San Luis Obispo, outside of Mendocino and Marin — have seen hospitalizations due to poisonous wild mushroom ingestion, according to state public health data. Sacramento and Yuba counties are the farthest inland to report hospitalizations.
Hospitalizations have involved patients ages 19 to 84, according to state public health data.
What to know about toxic death cap mushrooms
Death cap mushrooms — scientific name Amanita phalloides — can cause severe liver damage leading to death, experts said.
The mushrooms are indistinguishable in appearance and taste from edible mushrooms, and can be found growing among them. They are found in California, Oregon and Washington.
Even a single bite can be toxic.
Experts advise against foraging for wild mushrooms because of the risk.
According to the poison control system, symptoms of mushroom poisoning include:
- Abdominal pain
- Cramping
- Diarrhea
- Death
- Liver damage
- Vomiting
Sacramento County Public Health urged residents to avoid picking and eating wild mushrooms during a season of “abundant” death cap mushrooms, which remain poisonous even after cooking.
Officials advised residents to buy mushrooms from grocery stores and other retailers and to keep children and pets away from wild mushrooms.
Early symptoms of poisoning include watery diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and dehydration, which can appear six to 24 hours after ingestion.
Although those symptoms may subside after about a day, officials said severe or fatal liver damage can develop two to four days after eating the mushrooms.
If you think you or someone else has ingested poisonous mushrooms, call 911 immediately. You also can call the national poison control center at 1-800-222-1222.
